Overview Signs, Symptoms Common diseases Tests Treatment

Treatments

Treatments for heart disease depend on the condition and its severity. Acute conditions, such as a heart attack, require prompt medical intervention to minimise heart damage. For chronic conditions, doctors may recommend that their affected patients modify their diets, lose excess weight, exercise (under supervision), manage stress, and quit smoking. Conditions such as hypertension and diabetes should be controlled to minimise their affect on the heart. Heart failure often requires treatment with low salt diet and diuretics (to try to reduce the amount of fluid accumulating) as well as drugs to improve the function of the heart muscle.

Medications may be necessary to help manage symptoms and control heart diseases. Surgical procedures may be required to bypass blocked arteries, replace defective heart valves, or fix congenital abnormalities. Those with infections may need to take antimicrobial drugs.

New medications, procedures, and guidelines for addressing heart disease continue to be developed. Patients should talk to their doctor about the best treatment options for their condition.

On This Site

Tests: Cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, lipid profile, CK, CK-MB, myoglobin, troponin, BNP, homocysteine, cardiac risk assessment, LDH, hs-CRP
Conditions: Heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, angina, cardiovascular disease

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