Heart Medications

Heart medications are obviously drugs that are used to treat problems related to the heart. When a person has heart problems, different types of cardiac medications are used sometimes in conjunction with other medications. For example, if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, have high cholesterol, and have breathing problems in addition to heart problems, you will be taking a lot of medications.

There are different groups of heart medications and they are listed here.

Beta Blockers
These drugs are often prescribed to people who have high blood pressure. They work by blocking the effects of the hormone epinephrine, also known as adrenaline. As a result, the heart beats more slowly and with less force, thereby reducing blood pressure. These cardiac drugs help blood vessels relax and open up to improve blood flow.

Ace inhibitors (ACE)
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors help relax blood vessels. They prevent an enzyme in your body from producing angiotensin II, a substance in your body that affects your cardiovascular system in numerous ways, including narrowing your blood vessels. This narrowing can cause high blood pressure and force your heart to work harder.

Calcium channel blockers
Calcium channel blockers work by slowing the rate at which calcium passes into the heart muscle and into the vessel walls. This relaxes the vessels. The relaxed vessels let blood flow more easily through them, thereby lowering blood pressure.

Angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs)
These are medications that lower blood pressure and are commonly prescribed for the treatment of high blood pressure (hypertension) and heart failure. These medications produce similar effects to ACE inhibitors but by a different mechanism.

Antiarrhythmics
Antiarrhythmia drugs are used to treat abnormal heart rhythms resulting from irregular electrical activity of the heart.

Anticoagulants
Anticoagulants are drugs that help prevent the clotting (coagulation) of blood. These drugs tend to prevent new clots from forming or an existing clot from enlarging.

Water pills (Diuretics)
Diuretics are sometimes called water pills because they help get rid of water from your body. They work by making your kidneys release more sodium in the urine. The sodium, in turn, takes water with it from your blood. There are 3 types of diuretics: Potassium sparing, diazides, and loop diuretics.

Nitroglycering and other nitrates
Nitrates are commonly used to relieve pain, pressure or any other discomfort in the chest called angina. These drugs work by dilating the blood vessels. For this reason, they are referred as vasodilators. Vasodilators widen (dilate) the blood vessels, improving blood flow and allowing more oxygen-rich blood to reach the heart muscle. They also relax the veins. If less blood is returning to the heart from the arms and legs, it eases the workload on the heart. Nitroglycerin is one of the nitrates most commonly used.
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Cholesterol lowering medications
Cholesterol can be reduced by a low fat, low cholesterol diet and exercise but some times, medications are needed to help lower your cholesterol. This is where low cholesterol drugs come into play.

Aspirin
Aspirin is commonly used as a blood thinning medication on those who are at risk of developing blood clots and those who have suffered a heart attack or a stroke.

Digitalis
This heart drug works directly on the heart muscle to strengthen and regulate the heartbeat. It is also used to treat certain heart conditions.

Heart attacks are the number one killer in America, millions of others are recovering from one, and millions are at risk. For this reason, lots and lots of people are taking heart medications. If you are taking heart medications, you are not alone.

Self medication administration can be frustrating at times but if you need to take them, there are a few things you should know about. This can help you take them appropriately and get the best results.


Disclaimer

The information in this section and throughout this site is not meant to diagnose and does not provide any legal advice whatsoever. It is recommended to consult a physician if you have any questions or concerns regarding illnesses, prescribed and over the counter medications including, supplements, herbal and any other types of medicines.