An Overview of Treatment for Heart Disease
Treatments for
heart disease can include lifestyle changes, medications, and special procedures. The goals of these treatments are to:
Lifestyle Changes as Part of Heart Disease Treatment
Everyone with coronary
heart disease needs to make some lifestyle changes as part of treating heart disease. These changes are designed to reduce a person's risk factors for the condition. Some of these lifestyle changes can include:
Adopting new habits, such as not smoking, following a heart-healthy eating plan, maintaining a healthy weight, and becoming more physically active, can go a long way in helping to reduce your risk for worsened heart disease. You may need to manage certain risk factors vigorously. For example, having heart disease means that if you have high levels of a type of cholesterol called low density lipoprotein (
LDL) -- the "
bad cholesterol" -- your goal should be to bring the level to below 100 mg/dL. Review your
risk factors for heart disease with your healthcare provider, and discuss how to reduce or eliminate each one. For some people, these changes may be the only heart disease treatment needed.
Medications as Part of Heart Disease Treatment
Heart medications may be necessary in addition to making lifestyle changes. Some medications decrease the workload on your heart and relieve your symptoms. Others decrease your chance of having a
heart attack or sudden death, and prevent or delay the need for a special procedure (such as
angioplasty or
bypass surgery). Medicines may also be used to
lower blood pressure or
cholesterol. If you do take medications, it is vital to also faithfully maintain your heart-healthy lifestyle, because it can help to keep doses of some medications as low as possible.
Common medications used for the treatment of
heart disease include:
- Cholesterol medications.
- Medicines that either help prevent blood clots or dissolve blood clots once they form, including:
- Anticoagulants (such as Coumadin®), which are drugs that prevent clots from forming in your arteries and blocking blood flow.
- Aspirin, an antiplatelet medication that prevents clots from forming in your arteries and blocking blood flow. Aspirin may not be appropriate for some people because it increases the risk of bleeding. Discuss the benefits and risks with your healthcare provider before starting aspirin therapy.
- Other antiplatelet medications, which stop platelets from clumping together to form clots. These medications may be given to people who have had a heart attack, have angina, or who experience angina after angioplasty.
- Glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors, which are strong antiplatelet medications that are used in the hospital during and after angioplasty or to treat angina.
- Thrombolytics dissolve the clots that can occur during heart attacks. You need to get to the hospital as soon as possible if you think you are having a heart attack to get thrombolytic therapy.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), which lower blood pressure and reduce the strain on your heart. They also may reduce the risk for a future heart attack and congestive heart failure.
- Beta blockers, which slow down your heart rate and lower your blood pressure to decrease the workload on your heart. Beta blockers are used to relieve angina and may also reduce the risk of a future heart attack.
- Calcium channel blockers, which relax blood vessels and lower your blood pressure. These medications can reduce your heart's workload, help coronary arteries open, and relieve and control angina.
- Nitroglycerin, which is used to prevent or relieve chest pain.
- Long-acting nitrates, which open up the arteries to the heart, increasing blood flow to the heart muscle and relieving chest pain. Long-acting nitrates can limit the occurrence of chest pain when used regularly over a long period.
Procedures and Surgery That Treat Heart Disease
Heart disease treatment can also include different procedures or surgery in some cases, such as:
Angioplasty
An angioplasty is used to open blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. It can improve blood flow to your heart, relieve chest pain, and possibly
prevent a heart attack. Sometimes, a stent (a tiny tube) is placed in the artery to keep it propped open after the procedure.
Open Heart Surgery
Open heart surgery is also known as coronary artery
bypass surgery, or CABG for short. This heart bypass surgery uses arteries or veins from other areas in your body to bypass your diseased coronary arteries. It can improve blood flow to your heart, relieve chest pain, and possibly prevent a
heart attack.
Angioplasty or bypass surgery may be used for
heart disease treatment if:
- Medications and lifestyle changes have not improved your symptoms
- Your symptoms are worsening.
Some people may need to have angioplasty or bypass surgery on an emergency basis during a heart attack to limit damage to the heart.
Cardiac Rehabilitation as Part of Heart Disease Treatment
Your doctor may prescribe cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) for
angina or after bypass surgery, angioplasty, or a heart attack.
Millions of people survive heart attacks or open heart surgery and resume active, normal lives. The time it takes to recover from a heart attack or heart procedure will depend on many factors, including successful participation in a cardiac rehabilitation program. Cardiac rehabilitation programs include:
- Exercise training
- Education on heart-healthy living
- Counseling to reduce stress and help you return to an active life.
Almost everyone with heart disease can benefit from some kind of
cardiac rehab. Women are helped by cardiac rehab as much as men are. If your healthcare provider does not talk to you about cardiac rehabilitation programs, speak up and find out about programs that might fit your needs.
Exercise training will help you learn to safely participate in physical activity to strengthen your heart and your muscles, and improve your stamina. If you are still recovering from surgery, you may worry that exercise could be harmful. In fact, physical activity can help prevent future heart problems. Your cardiac rehabilitation team will plan a program for you that is safe and effective.
Cardiac rehabilitation programs will also help you learn new heart-healthy habits, control your
risk factors for heart disease, and offer support to cope with the challenges of adjusting to life following a heart attack or heart surgery. Depending on your needs, a program may help you:
- Quit smoking
- Manage conditions such as diabetes
- Follow a heart-healthy eating plan
- Lose weight
- Manage stress.
Final Thoughts on Heart Disease Treatment
If you have
heart disease, you may understandably hope that it's only a temporary ailment, one that can be cured with medicine or surgery. But
heart disease is a lifelong condition: Once you have it, you'll always have it. It's true that procedures such as
angioplasty and
bypass surgery can help blood and oxygen flow more easily through the coronary arteries that lead to the heart. But the arteries remain damaged, which means that you're more likely to have a
heart attack. It is sobering, yet important, to realize that the condition of your blood vessels will steadily worsen unless you make changes in your daily habits. Many people die of complications from heart disease or become permanently disabled. That's why it is so vital to take action to control this serious condition.
The good news is that you can control heart disease. There is much you can do to manage your heart condition, reduce your risk of a first or repeat heart attack, and improve your chances of living a long, rewarding life. The sooner you get started with your heart disease treatment, the better your chances of avoiding further heart problems, feeling better, and staying well. You have the power to make a positive difference in your heart health -- and you can start making that difference today.
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