The Answered Patient: Treating Heart Disease

More than 11 percent of the adult population in the United States suffers from some form of heart disease. Fortunately, several effective treatment options are available.

In this episode of "Say Ahh!" we'll explore the impact of heart disease on the body, and give you the latest information on life-saving treatments, including:

• Medication
• Coronary angioplasty
• Coronary bypass surgery

One method that's proven effective for controlling heart disease is drug therapy. There are six major types of medications doctors usually prescribe to treat the condition:

• Cholesterol-lowering medications
• Antiplatelet drugs
• Beta blockers
• Nitrates
• ACE inhibitors and ARBs
• Calcium channel blockers

For some people, medication alone isn't enough to control heart disease. In certain advanced yet manageable cases, a doctor might recommend what's known as coronary angioplasty.

During this procedure, a catheter, or narrow tube, is inserted into a large blood vessel in the arm or leg and then maneuvered toward the heart. At the tip of the catheter are a small balloon and a tiny mesh cylinder, called a stent. These are used to open narrowed or clogged coronary arteries and restore blood flow to the heart.

In the most critical cases, when restoring blood flow is urgently required, coronary artery bypass surgery can sometimes be a patient's best hope. Bypass surgery is just what it sounds like -- surgery that bypasses a clogged artery by attaching a blood vessel above and below the blockage point.

While it can be beneficial, bypass surgery does carry a slight risk of death. That's why doctors say the goal with heart disease is always to catch it early so that safer, less invasive treatments can be used.

For more information, click the links below.

• Heart Disease: Reducing Your Risk
• Angina and Heart Disease
• Vascular Disease
• Beta Blockers for Heart Problems

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