Coronary Artery Disease Treatment- Cardiology
Coronary artery disease develops when an artery that is responsible for supplying blood into the heart muscle becomes clogged and narrowed. If plaque will grow within the arteries, it will cause lesser blood flow to the heart muscles.
This condition is one of the major reasons for sudden death in both men and women around the world. If CAD will not be treated immediately, it can cause a sudden heart attack in the future. It may also lead to heart failure and arrhythmias.
Why is coronary artery disease treatment required?
Coronary artery disease can lead to:
- Angina
- Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Cardiac arrest
Which doctor to consult?
Talk to a cardiologist, who will explain to you about the ways of treatment, the risks and after-care.
What to expect during coronary artery disease treatment
Treatments for CAD vary on some factors like age and its severity. It involves lifestyle changes through:
- Quitting smoking
- Eating healthy foods
- Regular physical activity
- Losing excess weight
- Reducing stress
Medications may include:
- Cholesterol-modifying medications
- Aspirin
- Beta blockers
- Calcium channel blockers
- Ranolazine
- Nitroglycerin
- Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
Surgical procedures to treat CAD may include:
- Inflatable balloon angioplasty
- Coronary artery stent
- Coronary bypass surgery
More aggressive treatments may be needed for severe cases of CAD. Choices may include angioplasty and stent placement (percutaneous coronary revascularization). In this procedure, a catheter is inserted into the affected artery, together with a balloon that is inflated into the narrowed area to expand the artery walls. A metal-mesh material or stent will be left into the artery permanently to help keep the arteries open.
A surgeon creates a graft to bypass the blocked coronary arteries using a blood vessel from another part of your body. This enables blood to flow within the blocked or narrowed coronary artery. Because this requires open-heart surgery, it is reserved for multiple narrowed coronary arteries.
To learn more about Coronary Artery Disease Treatment, please check our blog on DO YOU HAVE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE?.
References:
- Coronary Artery Disease | CAD | MedlinePlus. (2019). Retrieved from https://medlineplus.gov/coronaryarterydisease.html
- Coronary artery disease. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.heartandstroke.ca/heart/conditions/coronary-artery-disease
- Coronary artery disease - Diagnosis and treatment - Mayo Clinic. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronary-artery-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350619
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