What are the treatment options for coronary heart disease?

Coronary heart disease is treated through a combination of lifestyle changes, medicine, and medical procedures. If you are diagnosed with coronary heart disease, you can lower your risk for a heart attack by not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating a heart-healthy diet to manage cholesterol and blood pressure levels, exercising, and reducing stress.

These lifestyle changes may not be sufficient on their own, and your doctor may prescribe medication. Medicines used to treat coronary heart disease include anticoagulants, aspirin, ACE inhibitors, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, nitroglycerin, glycoprotein IIb-IIIa, statins, and fish oil and other supplements high in omega-3 fatty acids. You may also need a medical procedure such as angioplasty or cardiac bypass surgery. Your doctor can help you develop a treatment plan that best manages your symptoms and reduces your risk for a heart attack.