Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsACE Inhibitors and ARBsAntiplatelet DrugsBeta-BlockersAnticoagulantsNitratesStatinsThrombolyticsOther Medications
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
ACE Inhibitors and ARBs
Antiplatelet Drugs
Beta-Blockers
Anticoagulants
Nitrates
Statins
Thrombolytics
Other Medications
If you are recovering from a heart attack, your healthcare provider may prescribe medication to lower the risk of it happening again. These treatments can serve several purposes, such as lowering blood pressure, preventing blood clots, and improving blood flow.
Certain medications may also be given during the actual event. These may help relieve symptoms (such as chest pain), improve blood flow, or dissolve blood clots.
Always call 911 if you or someone else is having a suspected heart attack. Prompt medical treatment can save a person’s life.
When to Call 911If you or anyone else is having a heart attack, immediately call 911 first.Thesymptoms of a heart attackmay include:Chest discomfort, such as uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes backDiscomfort in other upper body areas in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomachPale, gray, or bluish skinFeelings of anxiety or impending doomShortness of breathCold sweatNausea or vomitingLightheadedness or dizzinessUnresponsiveness
When to Call 911
If you or anyone else is having a heart attack, immediately call 911 first.Thesymptoms of a heart attackmay include:Chest discomfort, such as uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes backDiscomfort in other upper body areas in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomachPale, gray, or bluish skinFeelings of anxiety or impending doomShortness of breathCold sweatNausea or vomitingLightheadedness or dizzinessUnresponsiveness
If you or anyone else is having a heart attack, immediately call 911 first.
Thesymptoms of a heart attackmay include:
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Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitorsand angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) drugs lower blood pressure to reduce the workload on the heart and blood vessels.
Both these drugs are taken to improve the symptoms of heart disease. They are also helpful in treating people who have had a previous heart attack.
Common ACE drugs include:
Common ARBs include:
Boxed Warning for PregnancyACE inhibitors and ARBs have a boxed warning due to the potential safety risks of taking them during pregnancy. According to their labels, these medications should not be taken during the second and third trimesters.
Boxed Warning for Pregnancy
ACE inhibitors and ARBs have a boxed warning due to the potential safety risks of taking them during pregnancy. According to their labels, these medications should not be taken during the second and third trimesters.
Antiplatelet drugs are a type of blood-thinning medicine. They make platelets less sticky, preventing platelet clumping or aggregation and blood clot formation in the arteries.
Aspirin is a common antiplatelet drug for preventing further heart attacks. It is typically only for people who have had a previous heart attack or stroke. Starting regular aspirin treatment in people over the age of 70 is also not recommended.
Long-term aspirin use in people without a history of heart attack or stroke may lead to negative complications that outweigh its benefits. Because circumstances may vary from person to person, make sure you consult your provider before starting aspirin as a preventive therapy.
P2Y12 receptor blockers are another group of antiplatelet medications. These include:
Warnings for Brilinta and Effient
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued several safety precautions regarding Brilinta and Effient, which can cause bleeding issues. People with a history of intracranial hemorrhage or with active bleeding, such as a peptic ulcer, should not take them.
Effient is also not recommended for people older than 75 due to its increased risk of bleeding.
Beta-blockersare commonly prescribed after a heart attack to prevent the risk of future heart attack, chest pain, andirregular heartbeats.
The most commonly prescribed beta-blockers include:
Blood thinners, such as anticoagulants, prevent the formation ofblood clotsin the blood. However, they do not break existing blood clots; they stop them from increasing in size.
Anticoagulants are taken to prevent a heart attack. These include:
Boxed WarningsStopping anticoagulants too soon can increase the risk of life-threatening blood clots. If you need to stop taking it, your healthcare provider may prescribe a different type of medication to prevent blood clot formation.Additionally, people who take anticoagulants are at a greater risk of anepiduralor spinal hematoma while undergoinganesthesiaor spinal puncture.
Boxed Warnings
Stopping anticoagulants too soon can increase the risk of life-threatening blood clots. If you need to stop taking it, your healthcare provider may prescribe a different type of medication to prevent blood clot formation.Additionally, people who take anticoagulants are at a greater risk of anepiduralor spinal hematoma while undergoinganesthesiaor spinal puncture.
Stopping anticoagulants too soon can increase the risk of life-threatening blood clots. If you need to stop taking it, your healthcare provider may prescribe a different type of medication to prevent blood clot formation.
Additionally, people who take anticoagulants are at a greater risk of anepiduralor spinal hematoma while undergoinganesthesiaor spinal puncture.
Nitratesare helpful in the management and treatment ofangina(chest pain). Nitrates were first discovered in 1847 as a treatment for chest pain.
The main types of nitrates include:
Nitrates are commonly taken to prevent angina, limit the number of angina attacks, relieve the pain of a current attack, or treat the symptoms of heart failure.
Short-acting sublingual (under the tongue) nitroglycerine is currently recommended for all people as the best first-line treatment for immediate relief of acute angina symptoms. Long-acting nitrates are essential second-line preventive drugs.
Statinsare a class of medicines that can help lower thelow-density lipoprotein (LDL)cholesterol (also known as “bad” cholesterol) levels in the blood.Excess cholesterol can lead toplaque buildup in the arteries,causing heart diseases. Statins have a potent lipid-lowering effect that reduces cardiovascular risk and decreases mortality.
They work to:
Studies have shown that statins lower the risk of heart attack in people with high LDL cholesterol. Statins effectively treat or reduce the risk of heart attack due to their anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic, and antioxidant effects.
Some common statins include:
They are also available as combination products, including Vytorin (simvastatin/ezetimibe).
The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association suggest that, ideally, a person should receive a thrombolytic drug within 30 minutes of reaching the hospital.
Thrombolytic drugs are only taken for a specific type of heart attack called anST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), where particular changes will appear on an electrocardiogram (ECG).
The most common thrombolytic drugs are tissue plasminogen activators (tPAs). Examples of thrombolytic drugs include Activase (alteplase) and Retavase (reteplase).
What Is a Myocardial Infarction?A myocardial infarction is the medical term for a heart attack. Heart attacks happen when the blood flow to the heart is blocked, which stops the heart from receiving the oxygen it needs.Importantly, heart attacks, or myocardial infarctions, are not the same as cardiac arrests, which occur when the heart stops suddenly. However, heart attacks can cause cardiac arrests.
What Is a Myocardial Infarction?
A myocardial infarction is the medical term for a heart attack. Heart attacks happen when the blood flow to the heart is blocked, which stops the heart from receiving the oxygen it needs.Importantly, heart attacks, or myocardial infarctions, are not the same as cardiac arrests, which occur when the heart stops suddenly. However, heart attacks can cause cardiac arrests.
A myocardial infarction is the medical term for a heart attack. Heart attacks happen when the blood flow to the heart is blocked, which stops the heart from receiving the oxygen it needs.
Importantly, heart attacks, or myocardial infarctions, are not the same as cardiac arrests, which occur when the heart stops suddenly. However, heart attacks can cause cardiac arrests.
Along with these drugs, several other classes of drugs can treat the symptoms of heart attack and other cardiovascular problems. These may include:
Summary
Heart attacks can have major complications and even a deadly outcome if left untreated. Taking medication prevents and treats heart attacks from occurring if you are at a high risk of having them.
Your healthcare provider will prescribe the suitable medicine or a combination of medicines to control your symptoms. However, improving your lifestyle and activities is also important to prevent heart disease and limit your risk of future events.
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Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Red Cross.Heart attack.MedlinePlus.ACE inhibitors.American Heart Association.Types of heart medications.U.S Food and Drug Administration.Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) drugs.Heran BS, Musini VM, Bassett K, et al.Angiotensin receptor blockers for heart failure.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2012;2012(4):CD003040. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003040.pub2DailyMed.Label: AVAPRO- irbesartan tablet, film coated.DailyMed.Label: ZESTRIL- lisinopril tablet.Eikelboom JW, Hirsh J, Spencer FA, et al.Antiplatelet drugs.Chest. 2012;141(2 Suppl):e89S-e119S. doi:10.1378/chest.11-2293Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2019;140(11):e596-e646. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678American Heart Association.Aspirin and heart disease.MedlinePlus.Antiplatelet drugs — P2Y12 inhibitors.DailyMed.Label: BRILINTA- ticagrelor tablet.DailyMed.Label: EFFIENT- prasugrel hydrochloride tablet, coated.Joo SJ.Beta-blocker therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: not all patients need it.Acute Crit Care. 2023;38(3):251-260. doi:10.4266/acc.2023.00955MedlinePlus.Blood thinners.Heestermans M, Poenou G, Hamzeh-Cognasse H, et al.Anticoagulants: a short history, their mechanism of action, pharmacology, and indications.Cells.2022;11(20):3214. doi:10.3390/cells11203214DailyMed.Label: XARELTO- rivaroxaban.Tarkin JM, Kaski JC.Vasodilator therapy: nitrates and nicorandil.Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2016;30(4):367-378. doi:10.1007/s10557-016-6668-zDaiber A, Münzel T.Organic nitrate therapy, nitrate tolerance, and nitrate-induced endothelial dysfunction: emphasis on redox biology and oxidative stress.Antioxid Redox Signal.2015;23(11):899-942. doi:10.1089/ars.2015.6376U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Statins.MedlinePlus.Statins.Han X, Zhang Y, Yin L, et al.Statin in the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(12):e0167. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000010167MedlinePlus.Thrombolytic therapy.Ali R, Salim Hossain MS, Islam A, et al.Aspect of thrombolytic therapy: a review.ScientificWorldJournal.2014;2014:586510. doi:10.1155/2014/586510MedlinePlus.Thrombolytic drugs for heart attack.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is a heart attack?
American Red Cross.Heart attack.
MedlinePlus.ACE inhibitors.
American Heart Association.Types of heart medications.
U.S Food and Drug Administration.Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACE inhibitor) drugs.
Heran BS, Musini VM, Bassett K, et al.Angiotensin receptor blockers for heart failure.Cochrane Database Syst Rev.2012;2012(4):CD003040. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD003040.pub2
DailyMed.Label: AVAPRO- irbesartan tablet, film coated.
DailyMed.Label: ZESTRIL- lisinopril tablet.
Eikelboom JW, Hirsh J, Spencer FA, et al.Antiplatelet drugs.Chest. 2012;141(2 Suppl):e89S-e119S. doi:10.1378/chest.11-2293
Arnett DK, Blumenthal RS, Albert MA, et al.2019 ACC/AHA Guideline on the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2019;140(11):e596-e646. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000678
American Heart Association.Aspirin and heart disease.
MedlinePlus.Antiplatelet drugs — P2Y12 inhibitors.
DailyMed.Label: BRILINTA- ticagrelor tablet.
DailyMed.Label: EFFIENT- prasugrel hydrochloride tablet, coated.
Joo SJ.Beta-blocker therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction: not all patients need it.Acute Crit Care. 2023;38(3):251-260. doi:10.4266/acc.2023.00955
MedlinePlus.Blood thinners.
Heestermans M, Poenou G, Hamzeh-Cognasse H, et al.Anticoagulants: a short history, their mechanism of action, pharmacology, and indications.Cells.2022;11(20):3214. doi:10.3390/cells11203214
DailyMed.Label: XARELTO- rivaroxaban.
Tarkin JM, Kaski JC.Vasodilator therapy: nitrates and nicorandil.Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2016;30(4):367-378. doi:10.1007/s10557-016-6668-z
Daiber A, Münzel T.Organic nitrate therapy, nitrate tolerance, and nitrate-induced endothelial dysfunction: emphasis on redox biology and oxidative stress.Antioxid Redox Signal.2015;23(11):899-942. doi:10.1089/ars.2015.6376
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Statins.
MedlinePlus.Statins.
Han X, Zhang Y, Yin L, et al.Statin in the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction: a meta-analysis.Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(12):e0167. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000010167
MedlinePlus.Thrombolytic therapy.
Ali R, Salim Hossain MS, Islam A, et al.Aspect of thrombolytic therapy: a review.ScientificWorldJournal.2014;2014:586510. doi:10.1155/2014/586510
MedlinePlus.Thrombolytic drugs for heart attack.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What is a heart attack?
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