The term "
heart disease" usually refers to
coronary artery disease. The coronary arteries are blood vessels that carry blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. When these arteries become clogged with fatty deposits called
plaque, it's called coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease, or just heart disease. Clogged arteries can keep the heart from getting enough blood and oxygen, and can cause chest pain. If a blood clot forms, it can suddenly cut off blood flow in the artery and cause a
heart attack.
Amlodipine helps the arteries to relax, which helps to relieve and prevent chest pain (known medically as
angina). The drug is specifically approved to treat
stable angina and
variant angina.
Amlodipine is also approved to treat coronary artery disease in people who do not have
angina symptoms. Usually, heart disease is found in these people during a procedure called
cardiac catheterization. Amlodipine can help prevent hospitalization due to chest pain and surgery in these people.
