Many people have trouble correctly
taking their medicines for
coronary artery disease. Often, they need to take
several medicines at different times of the day. And some people struggle to
afford the medicines. But medicines are often a key part of treatment, and
people who do not take them as prescribed have an increased risk of
complications and death.
- Taking Medicines as Prescribed
- Dealing With Medicine Side Effects and Interactions
- Reducing Medicine Costs
Medicines to treat symptoms and prevent complications
If you have symptoms of coronary artery disease, your doctor may
prescribe some of the following medicines to control symptoms and, in some
cases, slow the progression of the disease:
- Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) lower your
blood pressure and reduce the strain on your heart. If you cannot tolerate
certain side effects of an ACE inhibitor, your doctor may prescribe an ARB
instead.
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors lower
your blood pressure and reduce the strain on your heart. They may also reduce
your risk for a future heart attack or heart failure.
- Aspirin and other antiplatelets help prevent blood
clots in your coronary arteries. This can decrease your risk of heart attack
and stroke.
- Beta-blockers slow your heart rate and lower your
blood pressure to reduce the amount of work your heart has to do. They also
reduce angina.
- Calcium channel blockers slow your heart rate and
lower your blood pressure to reduce your heart's workload. They also help widen
(dilate) your coronary arteries and reduce angina.
- Nitrates (nitroglycerin and long-acting nitrates)
relieve chest pain and other symptoms of angina.
- Statins lower your cholesterol and may reduce your
risk of a future heart attack.
What to think about
Medicines for angina
Stable angina can often be controlled
with medicine such as:
For more help with controlling angina, see:
- Quick Tips: Taking Charge of Your Angina
- Using Nitroglycerin for Angina
If angina symptoms become worse, your doctor may need to adjust your
medicines. But if angina symptoms still get worse and medicines don't help, you
may need angioplasty or bypass surgery. For angina that gets worse quickly or
occurs at rest (unstable angina), you may need hospitalization and
urgent angioplasty,
stenting, or bypass surgery. For more information, see
the topic
Heart Attack and Unstable Angina.
Do not use erection-enhancing medicines such as sildenafil
(Viagra), tadalafil (Cialis), or vardenafil (Levitra) if you take nitroglycerin
or other nitrates for angina. Combined, these two drugs can cause a serious
drop in blood pressure.
If you are taking an erection-enhancing
medicine and seek treatment for angina, tell the doctor about your use of this
medicine so you don't get nitroglycerin or another type of nitrate. There are
other medicines that may work instead to ease your chest pain.
Aspirin
Aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen
are all nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and can relieve pain and
inflammation. But only aspirin will reduce your risk for heart attack or
stroke. Don't substitute ibuprofen or naproxen for
low-dose aspirin therapy. If you need to take an NSAID
for a long time, talk with your doctor to see if it is safe for you.
Aspirin: Should I Take Daily Aspirin to Prevent a Heart Attack or Stroke?
Blood Thinners Other Than Warfarin: Taking Them Safely
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