Treating Angina

Medications

• Nitroglycerin-usually given during an attack of angina as a tablet that dissolves under the tongue or as a spray
  • Longer-lasting types may be used to prevent angina before an activity. May be given as pills, or applied as patches or ointments.
• Blood thinners-a small, daily dose of aspirin has been shown to decrease the risk of heart attack
  • Some may benefit from the addition of warfarin (eg coumadin). There is an increased risk of bleeding with this drug. *
  • Talk to your doctor before taking aspirin daily or warfarin.
• Beta-blockers and calcium-channel blockers-may reduce the occurrence of angina
• Cholesterol-lowering medications-may prevent the progression of CAD; may even improve existing CAD
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs)-lower blood pressure and decrease the workload on the heart

Surgery

Patients with severe angina or unstable, progressing angina may benefit from:

• Coronary artery bypass graft -uses arteries from other areas of your body to bypass blocked heart arteries
• Coronary angioplasty -uses a balloon to open blocked arteries