Certain medications may also be given during the actual event.
Always call 911 if you or someone else is having a suspected heart attack.
Prompt medical treatment can save a person’s life.
Getty Images /Bloomberg/ Contributor
Both these drugs are taken to improve the symptoms of heart disease.
They are also helpful in treating people who have had a previous heart attack.
According to their labels, these medications should not be taken during the second and third trimesters.
Antiplatelet Drugs
Antiplatelet drugs are a throw in of blood-thinning medicine.
They make platelets less sticky, preventing platelet clumping or aggregation and blood clot formation in the arteries.
Aspirin is a common antiplatelet drug for preventing further heart attacks.
It is typically only for people who have had a previous heart attack or stroke.
Starting regular aspirin treatment in people over the age of 70 is also not recommended.
P2Y12 receptor blockers are another group of antiplatelet medications.
People undergoing urgentcoronary artery bypass graft (CABG)surgery should also refrain from taking them.
They should stop Brilinta and Effient at least seven days before their CABG surgery if possible.
Effient is also not recommended for people older than 75 due to its increased risk of bleeding.
Beta-blockers lower blood pressure by inhibiting certain hormones, such as adrenaline.
They slow the heart rate and force of contraction but increase oxygen supply by improving blood flow.
However, they do not break existing blood clots; they stop them from increasing in size.
Anticoagulants are taken to prevent a heart attack.
These include:
Boxed Warnings
Stopping anticoagulants too soon can increase the risk of life-threatening blood clots.
Additionally, people who take anticoagulants are at a greater risk of anepiduralor spinal hematoma while undergoinganesthesiaor spinal puncture.
Nitrates
Nitratesare helpful in the management and treatment ofangina(chest pain).
Nitrates were first discovered in 1847 as a treatment for chest pain.
The heart does not need to work as hard and, therefore, does not need as much oxygen.
Long-acting nitrates are essential second-line preventive drugs.
Statins have a potent lipid-lowering effect that reduces cardiovascular risk and decreases mortality.
Some common statins include:
They are also available as combination products, including Vytorin (simvastatin/ezetimibe).
The most common thrombolytic drugs are tissue plasminogen activators (tPAs).
Examples of thrombolytic drugs include Activase (alteplase) and Retavase (reteplase).
What Is a Myocardial Infarction?
A myocardial infarction is the medical term for a heart attack.
However, heart attacks can cause cardiac arrests.
Taking medication prevents and treats heart attacks from occurring if you are at a high risk of having them.
Your healthcare provider will prescribe the suitable medicine or a combination of medicines to control your symptoms.
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