The American Heart Association urges anyone with heart disease to immediately quit smoking, eat a balanced and nutritious diet, exercise moderately (please check with your doctor if you are diagnosed with heart disease regarding an exercise program), and manage your weight through stress reduction.

The American Heart Association recommends exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week (preferably all seven days if you can). Activities such as walking, doing household chores, yoga, gardening, yard work, and dancing have been shown to be very beneficial for your heart’s health.

Again, check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

A healthy diet will also help those who have heart disease. Check the American Heart Association for heart-healthy recipes that are not only good for you, but taste good as well. Managing weight through calorie restriction is also effective.

Some of the specific treatments for each heart condition are listed below. Check with your doctor for more treatments and to discuss options that may be appropriate for you or your loved one.

Coronary Artery Disease

The treatments for CAD include lifestyle changes (follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly, stop smoking, lose weight and reduce stress), and the use of different medications and special (invasive) procedures including angioplasty. Even after treatment such as angioplasty or a stent procedure, it is possible for arteries to re-narrow or become blocked at the same site where treatment has already taken place. This is called restenosis. Some stents* have been shown to help open the artery and release a unique medication that helps prevent reblockage in the treated area. See the Cordis Website for more information.

* A stent is a wire mesh tube used to prop open an artery during angioplasty. The stent is collapsed to a small diameter and put over a balloon catheter. It's then moved into the area of the blockage. When the balloon is inflated, the stent expands, locks in place and forms a scaffold. This holds the artery open. The stent stays in the artery permanently, holds it open, improves blood flow to the heart muscle and relieves symptoms (usually chest pain).

Heart Attack

Medications used in treating heart attacks include:

• ACE Inhibitors
  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are a type of medication that causes the blood vessels to expand, lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart's workload.
  
• Antiplatelet Medications
  These medications (such as aspirin and clopidigrel) stop platelets from clumping together to form clots. These medications are given to people who have had a heart attack, have angina, or who experience angina after angioplasty.
  
• Beta Blockers
  Beta blockers allow the heart to maintain a slower rate and lowers blood pressure. Beta blockers are used for mild to moderate heart failure and often with other drugs such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors and digoxin.
  
• Glycoprotein IIb-IIIa Inhibitors
  These are potent antiplatelet medicines given intravenously to prevent clots from forming in your arteries.
  
• Nitrates
  Nitrates, such as nitroglycerin, are used to relax blood vessels and stop chest pain.
  

Treatment for heart attacks also includes medicines to treat arrhythmias (irregular heart rhythms), oxygen therapy, and more. Check with your doctor for more information about medications and treatment.

Heart Failure

Medications and treatment used for heart failure include:

• ACE Inhibitors
  Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors are a type of medication that causes the blood vessels to expand, lowering blood pressure and reducing the heart's workload.
  
• Diuretics (Water Pills)
  Diuretics cause the kidneys to remove more sodium and water from the bloodstream than usual and convert it into urine. This helps relieve the heart's workload and decreases the buildup of fluid in the lungs and other parts of the body, such as the ankles and legs.
  
• Vasodilators
  Vasodilators cause the blood vessel walls to widen or relax, allowing blood to flow more easily.
  
• Digitalis Preparations
  Digoxin increases the force of the heart's contractions, which can be beneficial in relieving heart failure symptoms.
  
• Beta Blockers
  Beta blockers allow the heart to maintain a slower rate and lowers blood pressure. Beta blockers are used for mild to moderate heart failure and often with other drugs such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors and digoxin.
  
• Blood Thinners
  People with heart failure are at risk of developing blood clots, usually in the blood vessels of the legs, lungs and heart. The last type can occur in cases of a condition called atrial fibrillation, which happens when the heart's upper chambers (atria) contract rapidly and without coordination. This causes the blood to pool in the atria, where it can form clots. These clots can be carried into the blood vessels that supply the brain. If one gets stuck in a vessel, blood flow to the brain is cut off and a stroke results.

Surgery

Different types of heart failure surgery include: replacing the heart valves, angioplasty (which removes blockages in the heart), coronary artery bypass (to reroute the blood supply around a blocked section of the artery), defibrillator implantation (surgically placed devices that deliver pacing), or an electric countershock delivered to the heart when an abnormal rhythm is detected.

Other forms of heart surgery exist—be sure to speak with your doctor about the various options, side effects, and risks.

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