Treating Heart Disease

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When blood supply to the heart is slowed or blocked by fatty buildup in the arteries, coronary heart disease occurs. Also termed ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease, coronary heart disease can manifest in two ways, as a heart attack or as angina. Heart disease is a serious condition giving rise to disability for a large number of Australians, and it is the leading cause of death in the country.

Heart disease treatments

If you have heart disease, your doctor may prescribe medication to treat the conditions and some of its risk factors, including high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Common medications include:

  • Nitrates to treat angina

  • Beta-blockers

  • ACE inhibitors

  • Warfarin

  • Statins

  • Common aspirin.

Most medications of this type need to be taken long term.

Surgical treatments for heart disease

Surgery may also be necessary to treat heart disease. If this is the case for you, your vascular surgeon may use any number of techniques to foster blood flow through your arteries. Some common surgical treatments for heart disease include:

  • Coronary artery bypass surgery. This procedure grafts a blood vessel taken from your arm, chest or leg to your coronary arteries, creating a detour past narrowed arteries through which blood can flow freely. This is effective in increasing blood supply to your heart and reducing angina.

  • Stent implantation and angioplasty. Also used to send blood flowing to your heart more effectively, this surgical procedure employs a small balloon, which is inserted into narrowed coronary arteries and then inflated. A stent, or tiny tube of metal, is often also inserted into the artery to ensure it remains open.

Surgical options are also available to improve the information your medical team has about your heart. In some cases a small implantable cardiac defibrillator can be attached to your heart to monitor your heart beat and transmit data to your doctor. Internal defibrillators are also very useful in patients experiencing arrhythmia, as they can detect unusual heart rhythms and generate a small electric shock to restore a normal heart beat when necessary.

Keeping heart disease at bay

A highly effective way to manage heart disease and minimise the risk of further heart problems lies in establishing a healthy lifestyle. Some strategies include:

  • Getting and staying active, with gentle and regular physical activity. Even a daily walk can have fantastic health benefits.

  • Eating a range of vegetables and fruits, whole grains, seeds and nuts, enjoying lean meats, poultry and oily varieties of fish, cutting back on foods containing sugar and fat, and drinking mainly water.

  • Quitting smoking, if you do smoke.

  • Striving to achieve and maintain a weight in the healthy range.

  • Seeing your doctor for regular checkups, and taking any medication that's prescribed for you.

While there is no cure for heart disease, there are many ways it can be managed and treated. By maintaining a healthy lifestyle and following your doctor's advice there is no need for heart disease to stand in the way of you enjoying a full and satisfying life.

For more information, contact specialists like Timothy Wagner.


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