Coronary heart disease medical therapy
|
Coronary heart disease Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Coronary heart disease medical therapy On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Coronary heart disease medical therapy |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Coronary heart disease medical therapy |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Please help WikiDoc by adding content here. It's easy! Click here to learn about editing.
Overview
Medical Therapy
- Treatment depends on symptoms and how severe the disease is. Medications to treat CHD, include:
- ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and protect the heart and kidneys.
- Aspirin, with or without clopidogrel (Plavix) or prasugrel (Effient) to help prevent blood clots from forming in the arteries and reduce risk of having a heart attack.
- Beta-blockers to lower heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen use by the heart. These reduce the risk of arrhythmias and improve survival after a heart attack or with heart failure.
- Calcium channel blockers to relax arteries, lower blood pressure, and reduce strain on the heart.
- Diuretics to lower blood pressure and treat congestive heart failure.
- Nitrates (such as nitroglycerin) to stop chest pain and improve blood supply to the heart.
- Statins to lower cholesterol.
Medical Therapy for Angina
Angina that occurs regularly with activity, upon awakening, or at other predictable times is termed stable angina and is associated with high grade narrowings of the heart arteries. The symptoms of angina are often treated with nitrate preparations such as nitroglycerin, which come in short-acting and long-acting forms, and may be administered transdermally, sublingually or orally. Many other more effective treatments, especially of the underlying atheromatous disease, have been developed.
Angina that changes in intensity, character or frequency is termed unstable. Unstable angina may precede myocardial infarction, and requires urgent medical attention. It is treated with morphine, oxygen, intravenous nitroglycerin, and aspirin. Interventional procedures such as angioplasty may be done.