Heart Disease Medications, Bloodthinners, Beta Blockers

This type of treatment includes the following types of medications, that:

• Thin your blood,
• Slow your heart down, so that less demand matches limited blood supply,
• Relax (dilate) your arteries so that more blood can pass through a wider pathway,
• Lower your blood pressure so that the heart has to work less,
• Modify your cholesterol to control the build-up of plaque (blockage),
• It also includes lifestyle modifications (diet, exercise and weight loss, smoking).

No present treatment can cure CAD! The diseases that cause CAD are determined by your genes, diet, smoking and your environment. Treatments all have the same goals: to improve quality of life and to alleviate symptoms by balancing the supply and demand of blood to the heart. Medical treatments, diet and exercise may also delay or stop the progression of the disease and thereby prolong life. However, there are some important differences between medications and life style modification on the one hand and procedures on the other.

Procedures are usually more beneficial than medical treatment when there are severe blockages (stenoses) and/or when many coronary arteries are involved, or when the left main coronary artery (the artery that supplies blood to the left side of the heart) is narrowed.

Bloodthinners

Anti Platelet drugs

Aspirin

In Individuals at low absolute risk of a first CAD event, the use of Aspirin has a clinically important reduction in risk of myocardial infarction, weighed against the risk of bleeding. The risks and benefits of aspirin therapy vary for each person.

Anticoagulant Drugs

Anticoagulants inhibit the ability of blood to clot, or coagulate. They don’t dissolve existing blood clots. They prevent new clots from forming or existing clots from getting larger. The most common use of anticoagulation is in people with a heart arrhythmia called atrial fibrillation. Most people with atrial fibrillation should take warfarin (Coumadin^®) or a new drug, Dabigatran.

Diuretics

Diuretics help the body get rid of excess sodium (salt) and water and help control blood pressure. They are often used in combination with additional prescription therapies.

Medications that slow your heart down

Beta-blockers

Drugs that relax (dilate) your arteries & lower your blood pressure

ACE inhibitors

ARBs

Calcium channel blockers

Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs

Various medications can lower blood cholesterol levels.  

Statins

This class of drugs works in the liver to prevent the formation of cholesterol. Statins are most effective at lowering the LDL (bad) cholesterol, but also have modest effects on lowering triglycerides (blood fats) and raising HDL (good) cholesterol.

Selective cholesterol absorption inhibitors or Resins (also known as bile acid sequestrant or bile acid-binding drugs)

This class of cholesterol-lowering (LDL) medications works by preventing the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine and by promoting increased disposal of cholesterol.

Fibrates (fibric acid derivatives)

Fibrates are best at lowering triglycerides and in some cases increasing HDL (good cholesterol) levels. .

Niacin (nicotinic acid)

This drug works in the liver by affecting the production of blood fats.