Medication

Common Medications for Heart Disease

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Plavix

An antiplatelet medication, called Plavix® (clopidogrel), which prevents excessive blood clotting, is sometimes prescribed for high-risk patients who are allergic to ASA. It can also be used in conjunction with coated ASA. Plavix is used after angioplasty and stent procedures and some heart attacks. Your doctor will discuss with you how long to stay on the medication.

Side effects: hemorrhage, increased bruising, stomach irritation, constipation, heartburn, headache, dizziness, joint or muscle pain, low platelet count, low white blood cell count or low red blood cell count (anemia).

Thrombolytic Drugs

A major advance in treating heart attacks is the immediate use of thrombolytic or clot-busting drugs, such as tenectoplase (TNK) or tissue plasminogen activator (TPA). These are also used to treat cases of ischemic stroke caused by blood clots. When given within three hours of the start of a stroke, some patients’ symptoms, such as numbness or the inability to speak, can be completely reversed.

Women and men get the same benefits (reduced mortality and less heart damage) from these drugs. However, women are less likely to be given them in the emergency room, partly because women are more likely to arrive at the hospital at a later stage than men. Women, especially older women, can have more bleeding complications with these drugs than men.

After a heart attack or bypass surgery, men are more likely to be encouraged to enter a cardiovascular rehabilitation program that teaches them how to exercise and modify their risk factors to prevent further heart disease. Women recovering from heart disease are much less likely to be referred to a rehab program, even though research has shown that participation in such programs can increase a woman’s life expectancy, and dramatically improve her exercise capacity and quality of life.

If your doctor doesn’t refer you to a cardiac rehab program, ask him or her if participating in such a program would be appropriate for you and if you can get a referral.