Medications for ischemic heart disease

A complex process is the treatment of coronary heart disease: drugs can only be prescribed by a cardiologist. Among the many drugs, it is impossible to choose them on your own.

Ischemic disease is a complex medical term that includes a whole group of heart diseases. Among them are angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and coronary cardiosclerosis. Ischemic disease is when the heart needs more oxygen than it can deliver. Accordingly, the heart muscle is inadequately supplied with oxygen, blood circulation is disturbed, and arteries are clogged with blood clots.

Medical treatment

In most cases, people with ischemia are offered treatment with drugs.

It is important to understand that for a speedy recovery, you will need not only taking pills, but also changing your lifestyle. A person should forget about bad habits, review his diet, give up heavy physical exertion, regulate the mode of rest and work. Nutrition should be dietary, but at the same time complete, in the patient's diet there must be foods containing potassium, sodium and magnesium. They are essential for the heart to function properly.

A healthy lifestyle will help enhance the effect of drugs.

Many drugs have been developed that improve heart function. They are available in the form of tablets, injections, suspensions and powders. It is important to remember that self-selection of funds for the treatment of heart disease is unacceptable. This should be done by an experienced cardiologist.

There are the following groups of drugs:

1. Antiplatelet agents.
2. Beta blockers.
3. Statins.
4. Nitrates.
5. Diuretics.
6. Anticoagulants.

All drugs have a different effect on the human body. Antiaggregants improve blood flow. They influence the coagulation and anticoagulation system, balancing its work.

Beta-blockers act on receptors located in the walls of blood vessels, slowing down the heart rate. As a result, the heart requires less oxygen and less blood volume. The coronary arteries narrow. The choice of the drug and its form depends on the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Beta-blockers are divided into 2 types:

• electoral;
• indiscriminate.

The first act gently and more slowly, the second - radically.

Tablets of this group are contraindicated in asthmatics and people with abnormalities in lung function.

It is quite difficult to cure coronary heart disease. Statins help to improve the balance of fats in the patient's body, have a neutralizing effect on other negative factors that provoke the disease. Cholesterol is the main enemy of healthy blood vessels, and statins effectively fight it.

Nitrates are necessary as part of complex treatment. The doctor should pay special attention to the selection of the right drug and prescribe the required dosage. Nitrates have a positive effect on vascular smooth muscles: when they relax, the gap between them increases, therefore, more blood passes through. It helps to relieve pain, but with regular use does not relieve ischemia.

With ischemia, a person has an increased risk of developing thrombosis. In this case, it is necessary to take anticoagulants. The frequency of use and dose depend on the course of the disease. Often, such drugs are administered once at the time of the attack, while it is necessary to carefully control the time of blood clotting.

Diuretic drugs are an integral part of the treatment for people suffering from high blood pressure, in addition to ischemia. These drugs remove water from the body, changing the volume of which can significantly lower blood pressure. Diuretics are a real salvation for hypertensive patients. There are several forms of release of these drugs, most often - tablets. It is important to remember that drugs differ from each other, it depends on which part of the loop of Henle needs to be affected.

Self-administration of such tablets can cause consequences, for example, if the liquid is excessively withdrawn, a heart attack can occur.

Antiplatelet agents for ischemia

Medicines of this group improve the permeability of red blood cells, reduce their ability to stick to the walls of blood vessels.

Blood thinners include:

1. Clopidogrel is a coated tablet for oral use. The action of the drug is aimed at preventing platelets from sticking together and reducing their growth. Cells are updated after 1-2 weeks after the start of treatment. After taking the drug, the course improves the absorption capacity of tissues: they pass oxygen to the fullest. Clopidogrel prevents the development of complications after ischemia and infarction, it should be taken several days after the attack.
2. Warfarin is a universal medicine intended for the prevention of thrombosis after suffering cardiovascular diseases. This remedy has a number of contraindications for use, therefore, only a cardiologist should prescribe it and select a regimen. Warfarin is often used to relieve acute forms of thromboembolism. Many doctors are inclined to conclude that this is far from the best drug in the antiplatelet group.
3. Mildronate is rarely used for the treatment of coronary heart disease. It is prescribed in the postoperative period, because it has a strengthening effect on all body functions.
4. Aspirin is known to everyone, but many people think that it is absolutely harmless. This is far from true. Aspirin tablets should not be taken on an empty stomach, because in this case, you can get a stomach ulcer. Long-term use of Aspirin is contraindicated in the elderly. You can get detailed advice regarding the use of the drug from your doctor.

It should be concluded that drugs of the antiplatelet group are necessary as part of the complex therapy of coronary disease, but one should not be irresponsible in their appointment. Such negligence on the part of the patient can be fatal and cause irreversible consequences.

Beta blockers

These drugs can slow down the heart rate. The mechanism of their action is to block the adrenoreceptors of the heart.

The positive properties of the drug in the treatment of IHD are as follows:

• reducing the need for oxygen;
• decrease in myocardial contractility;
• linkage of lipids with subendothelium;
• the fight against thrombosis;
• decrease in the rate of formation of lipid plaques.

Beta-blockers are used for ischemic heart disease complicated by hypertension. It should be remembered that taking such drugs should not be stopped abruptly. This may worsen the patient's condition. Initially, the drug is prescribed in small doses and the reaction of the body is monitored. It is allowed to select a dose of beta-blockers only under the supervision of a physician.

Among the drugs in this group can be identified:

1. Carteolol is available in the form of tablets. It reduces the negative manifestations of angina pectoris, improves the endurance of the body, leads to regression of the right ventricle at a mild stage of hypertension. With ischemia, the dosage of the drug directly depends on the course of the disease.
2. The particular effectiveness of metoprolol is noticeable in the case of a combination of coronary disease with tachycardia and heart failure. The drug acts after an hour after ingestion, the maximum therapeutic effect is noticeable after 2 hours.
3. Acebutolol with a single dose increases peripheral vascular resistance, with constant use it does not affect it. It also has no effect on the left ventricle. Effective in combination of arrhythmia and ischemia.
4. The action of Proxodolol is noticeable within half an hour, but the therapeutic effect disappears after 6-7 hours. Therapy is started with small doses to monitor the response.
5. The active component of Biprolol is well adsorbed. The drug reduces cardiac output and reduces the secretion of renin by the kidneys. The drug is used to treat hypertension alone or in combination with coronary artery disease. Produced in the form of tablets.

Such drugs are not recommended for use during lactation and pregnancy. Medicines of this group are very effective as part of therapy. Separate use of such drugs does not bring results.

statin group drugs

Lipid-lowering drugs are prescribed to the bulk of patients with ischemia. During the course of the disease, they reduce the risk of developing atherosclerosis of the coronary vessels. The likelihood of developing atherosclerosis increases depending on the increase in cholesterol levels in the human body. Statins are first-line drugs, they are prescribed to normalize the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. If coronary disease is present on the background of diabetes, such drugs should be taken on an ongoing basis.

The following effective drugs can be distinguished:

1. Pravastatin.
2. Lovastatin.
3. Atorvastatin.
4. fluvastatin.

The action of drugs in this group is the same. With their help, patients manage to reduce the level of cholesterol in the body in a short time. It is important to remember that it is impossible to take these medicines without interruptions: this can lead to the development of cholelithiasis. Statins should be used with caution in people with liver problems. Medicines are available in the form of tablets.

Nitrates - saving the coronary vessels

Medicines of this group act on the coronary vessels, expanding them, while increasing the clearance between them. Nitrate preparations help reduce pain and prevent lack of oxygen.

We can distinguish the most effective drugs of this group:

1. Nitroglycerin (in all dosage forms);
2. cardiket;
3. Nirmin;
4. Nitrolong;
5. Olicard;
6. Erinite;
7. Efoks.

All of these drugs are widely used for various heart diseases. Nitrates artificially increase the concentration of nitric oxide in the body, which can significantly improve the patient's condition within a short period of time. Despite their positive qualities, such drugs can cause a lot of side effects, for example, headache, confusion, dizziness. It should be noted that most patients develop tolerance to nitrate agents, in which case an increase in doses is required.

These medicines should only be taken at the time of an attack.

Diuretics for the treatment of ischemia

Such drugs reduce the volume of fluid in the body, removing it quickly through the urinary tract. Regularly using them, you can achieve a stable decrease in blood pressure. Often with heart failure, edema is formed, diuretics will help to quickly remove them.

Medicines in this group are:

• potent;
• medium strength;
• weak.

Potent drugs come in several forms. They are used to quickly get rid of unwanted symptoms. In the chronic course of the disease, the drug is prescribed 2-3 times a week. The most effective is Furosemide.

Medications of medium strength begin to act within 1 hour after ingestion and within 8-24 hours, depending on the individual characteristics of the body. Doctors most often prescribe Indapamide to their patients.

The undoubted advantage of low-acting diuretics is the ability to preserve potassium in the body.

They are ineffective at the time of the attack, they are used throughout the entire course of the drug. A lasting effect is observed after a month of continuous use.

Anticoagulants

Increased blood viscosity is dangerous in ischemia. The condition of the patient depends on the level of viscosity. The heart expends more energy pumping thick blood. Anticoagulants thin the blood.

Most often used:

1. Aspirin Cardio.
2. Tiklopedin.
3. Dipyridamole.

The drugs are available in a convenient tablet form. They prevent the formation of blood clots and inhibit their aggregation.

Ischemic heart disease is treated with the help of pharmacological drugs of various groups. Do not be careless about the course of the disease. Only in the case of a timely visit to the doctor can be cured without resorting to surgical methods.

However, complex treatment with drugs of various groups is not always effective; in some cases, surgical intervention is required.