Angina Treatment & Prevention Options

Conditions & Diseases: Cardiovascular System

Angina

Treatment Options

Treatment options can include medications or surgery or both:

1. Medications

Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN): GTN is available in the form of tablets or sprays and gets easily absorbed into the blood stream giving a fast relief from chest pain. GTN works by relaxing the blood vessels and widening the coronary arteries increasing the flow of oxygenated blood to the myocardial muscles. (5,13)

Aspirin: Aspirin makes blood platelets less sticky reducing the chances of blood clot. (14)

Clopidogrel: Clopidogrel is advised to patients intolerant to aspirin. (12)

Heparin: Drugs such as Enoxaparin, Dalteparin and Nadroparin prevent the blood from clotting. (14)

Statin: Statin drugs such as Atorvastatin, Fluvastatin, Pravastatin, Rosuvastatin and Simvastatin block an enzyme that is needed to make cholesterol in the liver, thus reducing the blood cholesterol levels. (9,12)

Beta-blockers: Beta blockers such as Propranolol, Metoprolol, Bisoprolol, Carvedilol, Sotalol and Atenolol block the action of certain hormones such as adrenalin (Adrenalin increases the heart beat) reducing the work load on heart. (2,5,12)

Calcium Channel Blockers: Calcium channel blockers such as Nifedipine, Verapamil, Diltiazem, Amlodipine, Felodipine and Nicardipine relax the coronary arteries and increases the blood flow. (2,5,12)

Potassium Channel Activators: Drugs such as Nicorandil widen the coronary arteries, improving blood supply to the heart muscle. (14)

2. Surgeries:

Angioplasty: In angioplasty, a tiny wire with a sausage shaped balloon at the end is guided (after its insertion in the groin or arm) with the help of x-rays into a narrowed section of the coronary artery and the balloon is blown up inside the artery to make it wider. Sometimes, a stent (a flexible mesh tube - see pictures) is inserted to keep the artery open. Thus, angioplasty is called as balloon angioplasty or Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA). (2, 5).

Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) Surgery: CABG is used to bypass an affected artery (blocked artery) with the help of segments/grafts of vein taken from other parts of the body such as legs or chest to create a new channel through which blood can be supplied past the blocked part of artery. (2, 5)

Transmyocardial Revascularization: This procedure is done for patients who cannot undergo angioplasty or surgery with minimal loss of blood. In this procedure, a small incision is made in the chest followed by the drilling of small holes (with the help of a laser) through the outside wall of the heart into the left ventricle. (9)

Prevention Methods

Angina can be prevented by:
1. Avoiding or quitting smoking.
2. Eating low fat, low cholesterol diet to avoid build up of plaque in the arteries.
3. Controlling high blood pressure (Hypertension) by eating low salt diet.
4. Regular physical exercise.
5. Eating at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily.
6. Eating at least one portion of oily fish weekly.
7. Developing ways to cope up with stress (5).
8. Taking 1-2 Omega 3 fish oil pills daily.

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com

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Page Last Modified:
01/04/2011