Types of Drugs for Heart Disease

This article to give one some ideas of how the drugs one may have been prescribed work and some of the side effects that one may experience.

Drugs used for heart disease fall into two broad types: those used for primary prevention, in other words drugs used to prevent coronary artery disease and correct specific risk factors such as high cholesterol, and those used for secondary prevention, to treat existing symptoms of heart disease such as angina. Over the past few years a number of very effective drugs aimed at secondary prevention have made an appearance. These are making a real difference in helping people with heart disease to stay healthier for longer and can sometimes actually reverse some of the symptoms of disease.

Within these broad types there are numerous different drugs, which may seem confusing, but most of them fall into a few well-defined categories. Although the drugs in each category work in broadly similar ways there are often subtle differences in action between them.

How well a particular type of drug works depends on several factors including your age, gender, weight and any other health problems one might have. Doctors will take these into account in trying to prescribe a medication which is most suited to one's needs.

When thinking of side effects it is vital to bear in mind that any substance which is chemically active have side effects. In the case of any particular drug the doctor will try to weigh the benefits for one's heart against the disadvantages of any potentially harmful effects.

'All drugs can have minor side effects,' says Belinda Linden, nurse adviser to the BHF.'It does not necessarily mean that they are harmful or should not be taken.This may not only be advisable when side effects are severe or if the doctor feels that the risks of the side effects outweigh the benefit of the drug.'

It can be alarming to read long lists of side effects, but it is worth bearing in mind that they do not affect everybody and that many subside once one's body has become acclimatized to the drug.

Some side effects are a nuisance rather than serious and can be treated by simple self-help methods. Constipation, for instance, is a side effect of many heart drugs, but can often be solved simply by eating more fruit and vegetables and drinking lots of fluids.

If one have benn prescribed a particluar drug which is not suitable and is causing one unacceptable side effects, do not just grin and bear it - return and consult one's doctor if he or she can prescribe something else.