Information About The Treatment Of Heart Disease

There is a wide range of effective drug treatments for people with heart disease. These drugs can help lower blood pressure or cholesterol, prevent or dissolve blood clots, relieve and prevent angina symptoms or improve the strength or rhythm of the heart's contractions.

Medical procedures to diagnose and treat heart disease include coronary angiography, coronary artery bypass grafts, coronary angioplasty, coronary stenting, heart transplants, operations for congenital defects, surgery for heart valve defects, electrophysiological treatments and implanting of cardiac defibrillator.

In addition to drug treatments and surgery, there is a range of treatments for heart disease and procedures for diagnosing heart disease.

Surgery

In severe cases, surgery may be needed to open blocked blood vessels. Some evidence suggests that surgical procedures are better for patients with blockages above the knee, and that more conservative measures might be just as effective for blockage below the knee.

Replacement therapy for end-stage heart failure

Heart failure patients treated with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) lived longer and better than patients who did not receive the device.

Surgeons implanted the pump, which is the size of a compact disc player, into the upper part of the abdominal wall or in the peritoneal lining. A tube on the device enters the left ventricle and drains blood from the ventricle into the device.

TREATMENTS FOR heart failure - implantable heart devices and cell-grown tissues - are among the top 10 research advances in heart disease and stroke for 2001, says David Faxon, president of the American Heart Association.
Other major milestones include drug-eluting stents and the use of stem cell transplants to repair stroke-damaged brains. Created in 1996, the `Top 10' list highlights major gains in heart disease and stroke research.

Less Invasive Surgery for Heart Disease

It is not surprising that many people suffering from heart disease that requires surgery would rather opt for less invasive methods. Heart disease surgery is a major operation and the time needed for recuperation and rehabilitation is extensive. Less invasive techniques involve less pain and scarring as incisions are much smaller and recovery times are much quicker. This kind of heart disease surgery is becoming a routine alternative to the big heart operations.

Less invasive heart disease surgery does not require the entire chest cavity to be opened up since small incisions are used in this less complex form of operation. In addition, there is no need for vessel grafts from the arms or legs and no need for huge equipment like heart lung machines. This type of heart disease surgery also means a shorter stay in hospital and a lesser chance of complications for the patient.

Ischaemic Heart Disease

Surgical therapy is indicated when medical treatment has failed to relieve symptoms or when the Angiogram shows significant disease in the blood vessels. Coronary Angioplasty - dilating the blocked vessel by inflating a balloon inside the vessel and Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting (CABG) - replacing the blocked area of the vessel using a graft from the patient, may be done to relieve the blockage.

Prevention

Risk factors like a fatty diet, smoking, sedentary lifestyle and stress should be avoided, as they are the main areas of focus in prevention. Avoiding foods rich in saturated fats is vital to reduce lipid levels in the blood and to prevent arteriosclerosis. Adequate regular exercise is also essential. Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension should be kept under good control with proper treatment.

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