Medication is the first line of treatment for serious CAD symptoms. You may receive medication to relieve angina pain and to dilate or expand your coronary arteries for increased blood flow to your heart. Common medications include nitrates, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, anticoagulants, or anti-platelet agents.
Nitrates are a group of medicines that dilate or expand the width of your arteries, thus allowing more blood to flow to your heart. The medication is often taken during an attack at the beginning of angina pain and pressure.
Like nitrates, calcium blockers widen or expand your blood vessels. These medicines are called calcium channel blockers because they affect the flow of calcium into heart and blood vessel cells. They cause these cells to relax and increase the vessel width.
Beta blockers decrease your heart's workload by blocking particular nerve signals mainly in your heart, lungs, and small arteries. This causes a lowered heart rate and lowered blood pressure. A heart that works less needs less blood and oxygen to function properly.
Anticoagulants prevent blockage in your arteries by slowing blood from coagulating or forming clots. A clot is a clump of blood in your vessels that may also form in the plaque deposits on artery walls. These clots, like plaque, may also block the heart from receiving blood and oxygen.
Anti-Platelet Agents, like anticoagulants, prevent blood clots. They are called anti-platelet agents because they decrease the action of blood platelets in forming clots. Platelets are the small blood cells that clump together to become a clot. Aspirin is the most common Anti-Platelet Agent.
Follow Your Physician's Directions While Taking Medicine for CAD
Nitrates, calcium channel blockers, beta-blockers, anticoagulants, or anti-platelet agents may treat your symptoms and prevent potentially harmful situations associated with CAD. Nonetheless, these medications may also have various side effects. Drug therapies can have different results in different people. It is important to follow your physician's advice regarding treatment and to report persisting side effects or disease symptoms such as angina.
Despite useful therapies and a combination of treatments, there are currently no medications that can clear arteries narrowed or blocked by plaque. You must undergo a interventional procedure such as angioplasty, stenting, or coronary bypass surgery to clear a critically blocked coronary artery.
Last update: 31.07.2005
