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Treatments for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

by Michelle Badash, MS
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The treatment goals of CAD are to:

  • Ease immediate angina symptoms
  • Improve heart function and prevent permanent heart damage in the future

Generally, CAD is treated with a combination of lifestyle changes, medications, and in some cases, surgery. These treatments are meant to slow or reverse plaque build-up, dilate arteries to improve blood flow, and prevent other complications.

If you have any underlying conditions that contribute to CAD, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, they will need to be managed as well.

It is likely you will have a healthcare team that is made up of doctors, surgeons, nurses, pharmacists, and other health professionals. It is important to maintain contact with your medical team, adhere to recommended treatment, and go to any recommended appointments.

Plaque Blocking an Artery

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Treatment for CAD involves the following:

Lifestyle changes
Medications
Surgery
Alternative and complementary therapies
REFERENCES:

Coronary artery disease (CAD). EBSCO DynaMed Plus website. Available at:http://www.dynamed.com/topics/dmp~AN~T116156/Coronary-artery-disease-CAD. Updated February 28, 2018. Accessed March 5, 2018.

Coronary heart disease. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website. Available at: https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/coronary-heart-disease. Accessed March 5, 2018.

Last reviewed March 2018 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Michael J. Fucci, DO, FACC  Last Updated: 3/15/2015