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Angina
See Also:
Angina: Introduction
& Overview
Angina: Types
Angina: Causes
& Risk Factors
Angina: Signs &
Symptoms
Angina: Medical
Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Angina:
Treatment & Prevention Options
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 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 (13) &
(5).
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 blown up inside the artery to make it
wider. Sometimes, a stent (i.e., a flexible mesh
tube) 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 done in the chest
followed by drilling of small holes with the help
of laser through outside wall of heart into the
left ventricle. The exact reasons for relief from
angina by following this procedure are not known
(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).
See Also:
Angina: Introduction
& Overview
Angina: Types
Angina: Causes
& Risk Factors
Angina: Signs &
Symptoms
Angina: Medical
Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Angina:
Treatment & Prevention Options
Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com
Sources
- What
is an Angina? National Heart Blood and
Lung Institute, US Department of Health &
Human Services, National Institutes of Health.
- Angina,
MedicineNet.com, August 2005.
- Angina
Pectoris, American Heart Association
- Angina
Pectoris, eMedicine from WebMD, Jamshid
Alaeddini, December 2007
- Angina,
Health Encyclopaedia, NHS Direct, February 2008.
- Angina,
Heart & Stroke Foundation, April 2007.
- Angina
Pectoris (Chest Pain), Heart and blood,
NetDoctor.co.uk, October 2007
- Angina,
Cardiology Channel, Healthcommunities.com,
January 2008
- Angina
Pectoris, eMedicineHealth, George
Woodward, August 2005
- Angina,
MayoClinic.com, June 2007
- Diagnosis
& Tests, Heart Disease Guide, WebMd
- Angina
Pectoris, How is Angina Diagnosed,
eHealthMD, January 2004
- Angina,
Patient UK, British Heart Foundation, October
2006
- Angina,
BUPA, British Heart Foundation, March 2007
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