Medications for blocked arteries?
June 25, 2021 4:20 PM Subscribe
If you have blocked arteries in your heart and you don't want to have bypass surgery what medications do they give you?
You can look up medical management for ischemic heart disease or coronary artery disease.
posted by loveandhappiness at 4:57 PM on June 25, 2021
posted by loveandhappiness at 4:57 PM on June 25, 2021
When they thought I had blocked arteries after a stress test and I refused cardiac catheterization, they told me I needed to take statins.
(I got a second opinion, and it turned out I was severely anemic and didn’t have a blockage at all.)
posted by FencingGal at 5:09 PM on June 25, 2021
(I got a second opinion, and it turned out I was severely anemic and didn’t have a blockage at all.)
posted by FencingGal at 5:09 PM on June 25, 2021
Are you hypertensive? Any arrhythmias? What are your lipid levels? It’s complicated.
posted by mr_roboto at 7:35 PM on June 25, 2021
posted by mr_roboto at 7:35 PM on June 25, 2021
Response by poster: This is about my husband. He had a stroke ten years ago from high blood pressure. At the time they tested his heart and found it to be normal, his cholesterol was normal.
Now they have found that he has blocked arteries. They think he should have Bypass surgery. He doesn't want to because of risk of another stroke. The discharge nurse at the hospital said that is a perfectly reasonable decision and that if he isn't going to have the surgery "they have medications that can help". I assume that means maybe help 10 or 20 percent where a bypass surgery may help 80% (I don't know the numbers). But I have no idea what medications she is talking about.
They put him on baby aspirin, a blood thinner, a diuretic and Metopropol. Yes they said he had arrhythmias. His blood pressure and cholesterol are fine. He is 73. Not overweight. No smoking or alcohol.
Are there additional drugs they give people who decline surgery?
posted by cda at 8:03 PM on June 25, 2021
Now they have found that he has blocked arteries. They think he should have Bypass surgery. He doesn't want to because of risk of another stroke. The discharge nurse at the hospital said that is a perfectly reasonable decision and that if he isn't going to have the surgery "they have medications that can help". I assume that means maybe help 10 or 20 percent where a bypass surgery may help 80% (I don't know the numbers). But I have no idea what medications she is talking about.
They put him on baby aspirin, a blood thinner, a diuretic and Metopropol. Yes they said he had arrhythmias. His blood pressure and cholesterol are fine. He is 73. Not overweight. No smoking or alcohol.
Are there additional drugs they give people who decline surgery?
posted by cda at 8:03 PM on June 25, 2021
Best answer: In additional to medical treatment, consider an entirely plant-based diet if you haven't done so yet. It's a big change and a challenge, but worthwhile. Check out Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease and, for fun, Penn Jilette's Presto: How I Made 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales.
posted by Elsie at 4:52 AM on June 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Elsie at 4:52 AM on June 26, 2021 [2 favorites]
Best answer: There’s no secret extra drug that’s being held back unless you specifically decline surgery, no.
Please weight medical advice from cardiologists and ward nurses appropriately.
posted by chiquitita at 6:48 AM on June 26, 2021
Please weight medical advice from cardiologists and ward nurses appropriately.
posted by chiquitita at 6:48 AM on June 26, 2021
Response by poster: thanks for answers and I should say that the cardiologist's appointment is in three weeks (difficult to wait that long to find out, so asked here)
posted by cda at 6:54 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by cda at 6:54 AM on June 26, 2021 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I'm a hospital pharmacist and I absolutely love the Mayo Clinic's website. Their info is written in straightforward language and is very thorough. If I were preparing for an appointment with a cardiologist I would read this article (about arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis) and use it to guide what questions to ask.
Specifically I would ask about a statin. There was a big push recently to give people high-dose statins to lower cholesterol but some other studies have found that it isn't actually worth it. I think it's not helpful in people over 75 so that might be why your husband isn't on one. But I would want to know.
Also, I would really dig into what the risks of surgery are for your husband in particular. There are so many factors. It might be less risky than you think. For example, the risk of stroke is higher if you've had a previous stroke - which you said he had - but there is a huge difference between "had a stroke 10 years ago" vs "had a stroke within the last 24 hours before surgery."
Feel free to message me if you have questions and don't want to do a whole back-and-forth on the green.
posted by selfmedicating at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2021
Specifically I would ask about a statin. There was a big push recently to give people high-dose statins to lower cholesterol but some other studies have found that it isn't actually worth it. I think it's not helpful in people over 75 so that might be why your husband isn't on one. But I would want to know.
Also, I would really dig into what the risks of surgery are for your husband in particular. There are so many factors. It might be less risky than you think. For example, the risk of stroke is higher if you've had a previous stroke - which you said he had - but there is a huge difference between "had a stroke 10 years ago" vs "had a stroke within the last 24 hours before surgery."
Feel free to message me if you have questions and don't want to do a whole back-and-forth on the green.
posted by selfmedicating at 7:32 AM on June 26, 2021
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posted by AugustWest at 4:26 PM on June 25, 2021