What are the Most Common Heart Medications?

Blood clots can block blood flow in arteries leading to heart attacks or strokes. Anticoagulants and antiplatelets are medications, also known as blood thinners, that help treat and prevent clots.

These drugs help prevent strokes, heart attacks and other clot problems. People with artificial heart valves or irregular heartbeats also take them.

Anticoagulants stop blood from clotting in different ways. The most common include warfarin, rivaroxaban, dabigatran and apixaban.

Antiplatelet drugs work by stopping platelets from sticking together. Platelets are essential for healing, but when they form in the wrong place, it can lead to serious problems like strokes.

Aspirin is the most common antiplatelet agent given to prevent blood clots. At a low dose, aspirin reduces inflammation in the arteries.

Doctors may prescribe daily low-dose aspirin for patients who have had a heart attack, stent, stroke or valve replacement and to lower the risk of getting heart disease.

Always talk to your doctor before taking aspirin daily. Risks and benefits differ for each person.

Sometimes, doctors may prescribe another antiplatelet medication in addition to aspirin. This is called dual antiplatelet therapy. Your doctor will tell you how long to take the additional antiplatelet medication. In most cases, it is not lifelong. Common forms of these drugs include clopidogrel (Plavix), tigagrelor (Brilinta), and prasugrel (Effient).

Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) dilate or widen blood vessels. This helps improve the flow of blood, eases the demands on the heart and lowers blood pressure.

These drugs are often given for high blood pressure and heart failure. They help decrease the risk of heart attack or stroke in people with heart disease. When given after a heart attack, they help prevent heart damage and future heart attacks.

Antiarrhythmic drugs treat heart rhythm issues, also known as arrythmias. These drugs can be used alone or with procedures like ablation or pacemakers.

People with arrythmias may have hearts that beat too quickly, too slowly, or irregularly. Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is the most common type. Antiarrhythmic drugs help regulate the heart’s electrical activity so that the heart beats normally.

Beta blockers as are often prescribed after a heart attack to help the heart recover. They minimize the effects of harmful substances produced as a result of heart failure. Some can also help improve the heart’s ability to pump blood. Others may be given to treat high blood pressure, angina and abnormal heart rhythms.

Common beta blockers include carvedilol (Coreg), nebivolol (Bystolic), and metoprolol (Toprol).

Calcium channel blockers decrease the heart’s workload by increasing its supply of blood and oxygen. They do this by preventing calcium from entering the cells of the heart and arteries. They can help treat high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and angina.

They are often given to people who cannot take beta blockers and include verapamil (Verelan) and diltiazem (Cardizem).

High levels of bad cholesterol can lead to plaque build-up in arteries, which is dangerous. Statins lower “bad” cholesterol in the blood. They can also lower triglyceride levels, another type of fat in the blood.

Statins decrease bad cholesterol production in the liver and inflammation in cholesterol plaques. Common statins include atorvastatin (Lipitor) and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Patients who cannot take statins or have side effects may receive other drugs to lower cholesterol levels.

Remember to take your heart medicine as directed and refill your prescription before it runs out. If you are helping someone with a heart condition, it’s crucial to help them stay on top of their medication.

Here are some tips to help you manage your medications:

• Follow the instructions for taking your medication.
• Keep your medication organized.
• Take your medicine even if you don’t feel any symptoms.
• Keep taking medicine even if you start feeling better.
• Inform your doctor or pharmacist about all the medications you are taking.
• Let your doctor or pharmacist know about any supplements or over-the-counter drugs you are using.
• Be cautious of any interactions with food.
• Watch out for any potential side effects.

If you have questions about your medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist for information instead of relying on other sources.

“Unfortunately, there is a lot of inaccurate information and misunderstanding regarding medications on the internet,” says Dr. Hitchcock. “Your clinician can be a trusted resource of information and discuss the intended indications and benefits of your treatment plan, which should always include living as healthy a lifestyle as possible.”

Your treatment plan for heart health involves more than just taking medication. It also includes adopting or maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a heart-healthy diet, avoiding smoking and staying physically active.