Treatment for coronary artery disease focuses on taking steps to manage symptoms and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. For example:
- If your doctor agrees, take a low-dose aspirin each day to reduce your risk of heart attack.
- If you can't control your high blood pressure and high cholesterol with healthier habits, you may need to take medicines. They can help you manage these health problems and lower your risk.
- Your doctor may also suggest medicines if you often have chest pain that makes it hard to do everyday activities.
- If medicines don't help your chest pain, your doctor may suggest procedures to improve blood flow to the heart. Angioplasty with or without stent placement is one way to open clogged coronary arteries. Or sometimes coronary artery bypass graft surgery may be needed.
- No matter what kind of treatment you get, healthy habits such as quitting smoking, eating a heart-healthy diet, and getting regular exercise are important. You can start today:
What to Think About
Keep these questions in mind as you think about your treatment options:
- Will this treatment improve my symptoms?
- Will this treatment help prevent future heart problems?
- Am I likely to live longer with this treatment?
- What are the risks of this treatment?
Some things that can affect your choice of treatment include the severity of your chest pain, your test results, and your feelings about treatment.
More about heart disease
Initial Treatment
Lifestyle changes are the first step for anyone with coronary artery disease. But sometimes lifestyle changes are not enough. You may also need medicines.
