If you suspected a heart attack and went to the emergency room right away, chances are you received the first-line treatment: percutaneous (below the skin) coronary intervention or angioplasty. Angioplasty is a procedure to remove the clot and restore blood flow to the heart. It’s likely you will be placed on a lifetime regimen of medication after having a heart attack. Categories of medication include the following types of drugs:
- Anticoagulants — are commonly called blood thinners, which retard the clotting mechanism so blood flows smoothly through arteries.
- Antiplatelet agents — are drugs that keep blood cells from clumping and forming artery-blocking clots.
- ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme) - angiotensin is a small particle—a peptide—that starts a process that causes blood vessels to narrow. Narrowed blood vessels cause high blood pressure because the heart works harder to push blood volume through the vessels. This class of drugs controls blood pressure.
- Angiotensin II receptor inhibitors — represents another group of drugs used to control hypertension (high blood pressure). They block the action of angiotensin II, which causes blood vessels to narrow, and lower blood pressure. These drugs are similar to ACE inhibitors because they both lower blood pressure, but the way they affect angiotensin production differs. Since the drugs work differently to achieve similar results, it’s up to your physician to determine which class of medication is right for you.
- Beta blockers — are also called beta-adrenergic blocking agents and beta-blocking agents. They work by altering the effects of adrenaline on the body’s beta receptors that, in turn, slows the nerve impulses that travel to the heart. These drugs are used to treat high blood pressure and arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat), relieve angina (chest pain), and can help prevent another heart attack once one has already occurred.
- Calcium channel blockers — work by blocking calcium from the heart and blood vessels, which relaxes blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen into the heart. Calcium channel blockers reduce blood pressure and may be used to treat chest pain (angina).
- Diuretic — is a class of medication that helps you body eliminate excess fluid, which helps lower your blood pressure.
- Vasodilators — are drugs that enlarge the blood vessels (arteries). The goal is to open arteries so blood flow is unimpeded.
- Digitalis — strengthens heart muscle contractions, slows the heart rate, and helps eliminate excess fluid from the body.
- Statins — reduce the level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL), sometimes called bad cholesterol, by inhibiting cholesterol production. Statins also help the liver remove LDL that is already in the blood, which lowers total cholesterol.
*For more information about your heart medications, please consult with your Doctor or Pharmacist.