Treatment:

You may be asked to take one or more medicines to treat blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol levels. Follow your doctor's directions closely to help prevent coronary artery disease from getting worse.

Goals for treating these conditions in people who have coronary artery disease:

• Blood pressure less than or equal to 140/90 (even lower for some patients with diabetes, kidney disease, or heart failure)
• Glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels less than or equal to 7% for people with diabetes
• LDL cholesterol level less than or equal to 100 mg/dL (even lower for some patients)

Treatment depends on your symptoms and how severe the disease is. Your doctor may give you one or more medicines to treat CHD, including:

• ACE inhibitors to lower blood pressure and protect your heart and kidneys
• Aspirin, with or without clopidogrel (Plavix) or prasugrel (Effient) to help prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries
• Beta-blockers to lower heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen use by the heart
• Calcium channel blockers to relax arteries, lower blood pressure, and reduce strain on the heart
• Diuretics ("water pills") to lower blood pressure and treat heart failure
• Nitrates (such as nitroglycerin) to stop chest pain and improve blood flow to the heart
• Statins to lower cholesterol

NEVER ABRUPTLY STOP TAKING ANY OF THESE DRUGS. Always talk to your doctor first. Stopping these drugs suddenly can make your angina worse or cause a heart attack.

Your doctor may refer you to a cardiac rehabilitation program to help improve your heart's fitness.

Procedures and surgeries used to treat CHD include:

• Angioplasty and stent placement, called percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs)
• Coronary artery bypass surgery
• Minimally invasive heart surgery

LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Some of the risks for heart disease that you CAN change are:

• Do not smoke or use tobacco.
• Get plenty of exercise, at least 30 minutes a day on at least 5 days a week (talk to your doctor first).
• Maintain a healthy weight. Men and women should aim for a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.
• Get checked and treated for depression.
• Women who are at high risk for heart disease should take omega-3 fatty acid supplements.
• If you drink alcohol, limit yourself to no more than one drink per day for women, and no more than two drinks per day for men.

Nutrition is important to your heart health, and it will help control some of your heart disease risk factors. See also: Heart disease and diet

• Choose a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Choose lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, beans, and legumes.
• Eat low-fat dairy products, such as 1% milk and low-fat yogurt.
• Avoid sodium (salt) and fats found in fried foods, processed foods, and baked goods.
• Eat fewer animal products that contain cheese, cream, or eggs.
• Read labels, and stay away from "saturated fat" and anything that contains "partially-hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" fats. These products are usually loaded with unhealthy fats.

Expectations (prognosis):

Everyone recovers differently. Some people can maintain a healthy life by changing their diet, stopping smoking, and taking medications exactly as the doctor prescribes. Others may need medical procedures such as angioplasty or surgery.

Although everyone is different, early detection of CHD generally results in a better outcome.

Calling your health care provider:

If you have any risk factors for CHD, contact your doctor to discuss prevention and possible treatment.

Immediately contact your health care provider, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or go to the emergency room if you have:

• Angina or chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Symptoms of a heart attack