Heart disease treatments can include medications, lifestyle modifications, surgical procedures, and rehabilitation. The best approach depends on factors such as the specific heart condition, its severity, and your overall health. Heart disease covers a range of conditions that impact the heart's blood vessels, valves, and arteries.
The primary goals of treatment are to manage symptoms, slow the progression of the disease, prevent complications, and enhance your quality of life.¹ Usually, your healthcare provider will work closely with a cardiologist to customize the best treatment plan for you.
Medications
Medications are often a key part of managing heart disease. A healthcare team might prescribe one or more of the following:¹²
- ACE Inhibitors: Help lower blood pressure (e.g., benazepril, lisinopril, ramipril).
- Angiotensin Receptor Blockers (ARBs): Relax blood vessels to reduce blood pressure (e.g., losartan, olmesartan, valsartan).
- Antiplatelet Drugs: Prevent blood clots that can cause strokes or heart attacks (e.g., aspirin, clopidogrel).
- Beta-Blockers: Slow the heart rate and reduce blood pressure, easing the heart’s workload (e.g., metoprolol, bisoprolol).
- Calcium Channel Blockers: Prevent calcium from entering heart cells, helping blood vessels relax (e.g., amlodipine, diltiazem, verapamil).
- Nitrates:
- Long-acting nitrates (e.g., isosorbide mononitrate) improve blood flow.
- Short-acting nitrates (e.g., nitroglycerin) quickly relieve angina.
- Statins: Lower cholesterol to prevent plaque buildup in arteries (e.g., atorvastatin, rosuvastatin).
Surgical Procedures and Interventions
When medications alone aren't sufficient, surgical or minimally invasive procedures may be necessary. These can help improve blood flow, correct heart rhythm problems, or repair damaged heart structures.³ Some common procedures include:
- Angioplasty: Opens clogged coronary arteries.
- Artificial Heart Valve Replacement: Substitutes damaged valves with artificial ones.
- Atherectomy: Removes plaque from arteries to restore blood flow.
- Bypass Surgery: Redirects blood flow around blocked arteries using blood vessels from elsewhere in the body.
- Catheter Ablation: Corrects abnormal heart rhythms by using energy to scar small areas of heart tissue.
- Stent Placement: Keeps arteries open after clearing blockages.
- Heart Transplant: Replaces a severely damaged heart with a healthy donor heart.
Some patients may also receive implantable devices, such as:
- Pacemaker: Helps regulate an irregular heartbeat.⁴
- Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD): Delivers shocks if a dangerous heart rhythm is detected.⁵
- Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD): A mechanical pump supporting the heart’s ability to circulate blood.⁶
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Cardiac rehab is a supervised program designed for people recovering from serious heart events like a heart attack, heart failure, or surgery.⁷ It typically includes:
- Supervised exercise sessions
- Education about heart-healthy living
- Stress management counseling
- Strategies for preventing future heart problems
Lifestyle Changes
Adopting healthier habits is a critical part of managing heart disease. Your healthcare team may recommend:⁸
- Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains
- Exercising 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week
- Maintaining a healthy sleep schedule and taking breaks as needed
- Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke
- Limiting alcohol consumption
- Managing related health conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes
- Finding effective stress-relief activities, such as yoga, journaling, meditation, or hobbies you enjoy
A Quick Summary
Heart disease treatment often involves a combination of medications, lifestyle changes, procedures, and rehabilitation. The right approach will depend on your unique health needs. Following your care team’s advice, taking medications as prescribed, and making long-term healthy changes can significantly improve your heart health and overall well-being.
