Coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease) requires lifelong treatment. The patient must take appropriate medications every day, which will not only alleviate the pain, but also stop the progression of the disease. However, drug treatment is not enough. It is also necessary to change the lifestyle. Find out what the treatment of coronary (ischemic heart) disease is.

Treatment of coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease)is usually necessary for the rest of your life. The aim of the therapy is to relieve pain and stop the progression of the disease, and thus - to prevent a heart attack or sudden cardiac death.

Coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease) - diagnosis

The diagnosis of coronary heart disease includes the followingtests :

  • Blood tests

- blood count, - lipid profile, i.e. lipid concentration, - fasting and post-load glucose, - creatinine concentration.

  • Non-invasive cardiac examinations

- Chest X-ray, - multi-slice computed tomography of the coronary vessels, - resting ECG, - exercise ECG, - Holter ECG (in some cases), - resting echocardiography, heart echo, - stress echocardiography, ECHO STRESS.

  • Invasive cardiac examinations

- scintigraphy, - coronary angiography, - angiography.

Coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease) - treatment

There are two basic ways to treat coronary artery disease: medication or surgery to restore normal circulation. In addition, co-morbidities, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, should be adequately treated and lifestyle changed.

Drug treatment consists in administering medications that will eliminate the troublesome symptoms of the disease and inhibit its progress. The basic drug in the case of ischemic heart disease isacetylsalicylic acid , i.e. aspirin, which prevents platelets from sticking together, and thus - the formation of blood clots in the coronary arteries.

In addition, the patient is givenstatins . These are drugs that reduce the level of "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, and slightly increase the level of "good" HDL cholesterol, andthus, atherosclerotic plaque in arterial vessels is less prone to damage.

If the patient is struggling with additional diseases, e.g. diabetes or arterial hypertension, he can be orderedangiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors , which include lower blood pressure.

Important

Coronary artery disease (ischemic heart disease) - change your lifestyle

People diagnosed with coronary artery disease should change their lifestyle: stop smoking, drinking too much alcohol, lose weight, change their diet - preferably Mediterranean - and be physically active on a regular basis. You should spend at least 30 minutes daily, every day.

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To endure the troublesome symptoms,nitratesare used, which relax the veins and reduce the tension in the arterial walls. In addition, the patient is givenbeta-blockers , which slow down the contraction of the heart muscle, thereby reducing its oxygen requirements. Sometimes the doctor orders the patient to take calcium channel blockers, which relax the arteries, and thus - reduce the resistance and work of the heart.

In the advanced stage of the disease, in order to restore normal circulation, the following surgery is necessary: ​​ coronary aortic bypass(vascular bypass surgery - bypassing the coronary artery) orpercutaneous coronary intervention(percutaneous instruments are inserted into the coronary arteries to dilate or restore the vessels).

Category:

Cardiology