Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina Treatment: Medicine

Treatment for coronary artery disease (CAD) and angina involves two main goals:

• To alleviate immediate angina symptoms
• To improve heart function and prevent permanent heart damage in the future

Treatment options include lifestyle modification, medicines, surgery and other procedures, and herbs and dietary supplements.

Medicines for CAD and angina include:

• Vasodilators
• Beta blockers
• Statins
• Calcium channel blockers
• Antiplatelet agents (including aspirin)
• Anticoagulants
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE inhibtors)
• Ranolazine (Ranexa)

If you cannot control CAD with lifestyle changes, medications, and natural treatments, and angina or other cardiac symptoms persist, your doctor may recommend a revascularization procedure such as PCI or CABG (see below). The following procedures are used to treat coronary artery disease and angina:

• Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
• Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
• Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP)
• Gene Therapy: Studies are underway looking at gene therapy to help the heart grow new blood vessels. This is still an experimental procedure.

• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Vasodilators
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Beta Blockers
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Statins
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Calcium Channel Blockers
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Antiplatelet Agents
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Anticoagulants
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Ranolazine (Ranexa)
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG)
• Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP)
• Talking to Your Doctor About Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina

Vasodilators help enlarge (dilate) blood vessels, enhancing blood flow through otherwise narrowed vessels. Ultimately, the heart can work better, because more blood is delivered to its muscle tissues.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Vasodilators.

Beta blockers are intended to prevent anginal attacks or heart attacks. They do this by helping to slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure, especially during exercise.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Beta Blockers.

Statins help to lower cholesterol levels and decrease inflammation.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Statins.

Calcium channel blockers affect the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. As a result, blood vessels open wider (dilate). The supply of blood and oxygen to the heart is...

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Calcium Channel Blockers.

Antiplatelet agents help treat coronary artery disease (CAD) and angina by preventing the formation of blood clots. They do this by keeping platelets from clumping and sticking together.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Antiplatelet Agents.

Anticoagulants help prevent the formation of blood clots by thinning the blood.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Anticoagulants.

ACE inhibitors work to dilate blood vessels by interfering with the action of angiotensin, a chemical that contracts and narrows blood vessels.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors.

Ranolazine reduces angina by improving blood flow, helping the heart work more efficiently.

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Ranolazine (Ranexa).

A catheter is inserted into the artery in your groin (or less likely your arm). The catheter, which has a tiny balloon at the tip, is guided into the affected artery using x-ray pictures, displayed on...

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).

During a CABG procedure, a blood vessel (vein) is taken from the leg or chest or wrist and grafted into a diseased artery, bypassing the blocked area. If more than one area is blocked, a bypass can be...

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG).

EECP is a noninvasive procedure in which inflatable bags are wrapped around the legs (like a blood pressure cuff around the arm) and inflated and deflated in concert with the patient’s heart beat. The...

Read more about Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and Angina and Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP).