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Angina treatment: Stents, drugs, lifestyle changes — What's best?
Why are there different treatments for each type of angina?
What are the treatment options for chronic stable angina?
So which angina treatment is better — angioplasty and stenting or medications?
What if your angina treatment doesn't work?
How do you choose?
Content
Types of angina
Treatment options
Medicines
Angioplasty and stent placement
Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy
Lifestyle changes
How to choose
What are the treatment options for chronic stable angina?
So which angina treatment is better — angioplasty and stenting or medications?
What if your angina treatment doesn't work?
How do you choose?
Content
Types of angina
Treatment options
Medicines
Angioplasty and stent placement
Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy
Lifestyle changes
How to choose
Medicines
Several medicines can improve angina symptoms, including:
- Aspirin. Aspirin and other antiplatelet medicines prevent blood clotting. This makes it easier for blood to flow through narrowed heart arteries.
- Nitroglycerin. This medicine widens the heart arteries. It can help control or relieve chest pain. Nitroglycerin is available as a pill, spray or patch.
- Beta blockers. These medicines help the heart beat more slowly and with less force. This eases angina pain.
- Statins. Statins are often used to treat high cholesterol. They also might help prevent fatty deposits called plaque from clogging heart arteries.
- Calcium channel blockers. These medicines relax and widen blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the heart.
- Ranolazine. This medicine might be given with or instead of beta blockers for angina. It's typically used if angina symptoms don't improve with other medicines.
