Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death today. It is a silent disease that usually reveals itself with a medical emergency like heart attack. Although diet and lifestyle modification plays a key role in management of heart disease, medicines for heart disease are important to address the immediate medical needs of the patient.
When are medicines for heart disease prescribed?
'Commonly, drugs for heart disease are prescribed for the treatment of angina, heart failure and abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmias),' says Dr Vineet Sankhla, Consultant Cardiologist, CIMS Hospital, Ahmedabad.
What are the common drugs prescribed for heart disease? How do they work?
There are several forms of heart disease and therefore they require different types and combinations of drugs for treatment.
'Medicines for angina and heart attack include nitrates, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers. The drugs for heart failure are ACE inhibitors and digoxin (Lanoxin). These drugs dilate the arteries increasing the oxygen supply to heart and also decrease the heart rate and force of contraction thereby slowing down the oxygen demand of the heart,' says Dr Vineet.
What are the side-effects of these medicines?
'These drugs are usually safe when taken as prescribed by doctor. However, there can be certain side effects like dry cough (ACE Inhibitors), slowing of heart rate (beta blockers) and decrease in BP (nitrates). Consult your doctor if there is intolerance or troublesome side effects to any of the drugs,' says Dr Vineet. Also, the side-effects will vary from person to person. Here are some common side-effects you should know:
Nitrates: Headache, nausea and dizziness. Contact your doctor if you experience allergic symptoms like skin rash, itching, swelling, dry mouth.
Beta blockers: Diarrhea, stomach cramps, vomiting, headache, confusion, dizziness
Calcium channel blockers: Digestive problems, low BP, nausea, headache, drowsiness
ACE inhibitors: These drugs show less number of side-effects. Dizziness, cold sweat, low BP, drowsiness
What precautions should a person take while on medication?
Dr Vineet explains some precautionary measures while taking medicines for heart disease.
Apart from the above listed things you should also remember the following points:
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