Coronary artery disease; Arteriosclerotic heart disease; CHD; CAD

You may be asked to take one or more medicines to treat blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels. Follow your doctor's directions closely to help prevent coronary artery disease from getting worse.

Goals for treating these conditions in people who have coronary artery disease:

• Blood pressure less than or equal to 140/90 (even lower for some patients with diabetes, kidney disease, and heart failure)
• Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels less than or equal to 7%
• LDL cholesterol level less than or equal to 100 mg/dL (even lower for some patients)

Treatment depends on your symptoms and how severe the disease is. Your doctor may give you one or more medicines to treat CHD, including:

• ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and protect your heart and kidneys
• Aspirin, with or without clopidogrel (Plavix) or prasugrel (Effient) to help prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries and reduce your risk of having a heart attack. Ask your doctor if you should be taking these medications.
• 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

NEVER ABRUPTLY STOP TAKING ANY OF THESE DRUGS. Always talk to your doctor first. Stopping these drugs suddenly can make your angina worse or cause a heart attack.

Procedures and surgeries used to treat CHD include:

• Angioplasty and stent placement, called percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs)
• Coronary artery bypass surgery
• Minimally invasive heart surgery

Lifestyle changes are very important. Your doctor may tell you to:

• Avoid or reduce the amount of salt (sodium) you eat
• Eat a heart healthy diet -- one that is low in saturated fats, cholesterol, and trans fats
• Get regular exercise and maintain a healthy weight
• Keep your blood sugar strictly under control if you have diabetes
• Stop smoking

See also: Healthy heart diet

Images

Posterior heart arteries

Cholesterol producers

Acute MI

Heart, front view

Coronary artery disease

Directional coronary atherectomy (DCA)

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Review Date: 06/21/2010
Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)