Common Heart Medications

There are hundreds of different medications that can help treat heart disease. Keep a list of all your medications, dosage, and time you need to take them. Add any new medication or changes to your dosage as they're made. And share this list with any new healthcare provider that you visit.

Know Your Medications

Learn what type of medication you're taking, what it treats, and how to take it safely. If you have questions about why you need a medication or how it works, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Medications are prescribed in just the right doses for your heart condition. They work only if you take them exactly as directed. So while your doctor can prescribe the best medications for you, it's up to you to take them correctly.

Common Types of Medication

• ACE inhibitors treat high blood pressure and heart failure.

• Antiarrhythmics help slow and regulate a fast or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).

• Anticoagulants help reduce the risk that a blood clot will form and block the artery (thrombosis).

• Antihypertensives help treat high blood pressure (hypertension).

• Aspirin (taken regularly in the right dosage) helps reduce blood clots.

• Beta blockers and calcium channel blockers help treat high blood pressure. They may also help prevent chest pain (angina) and regulate an arrhythmia.

• Digitalis helps treat heart failure and may help an irregular heartbeat.

• Diuretics help treat high blood pressure and heart failure. They are sometimes called water pills because they help your body get rid of excess water.

• Lipid-lowering medications help control your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

• Nitrates help prevent and treat angina.

• Vasodilators help blood flow more easily through the arteries. Calcium channel blockers and nitrates are vasodilators.