heart medicines:

Did you know . . .
. . . even at rest, the muscles of the heart work hard—twice as hard as the leg muscles of a person sprinting. If you give a tennis ball a good, hard squeeze—you're using about the same amount of force your heart uses to pump blood out to the body.

Platelets are blood cells that help the body form a clot in response to injury. Antiplatelet medications such as aspirin and plavix prevent platelets from clumping or sticking together or forming clots. They lower the risk of heart attack and help prevent closure of the coronary artery after an angioplasty and stent placement, due to clot formation.

1. Aspirin (Bayer, Ecotrin)
2. Plavix (Clopidogrel)
3. Ticlid (Ticlopidine)
4. Persantine (Dipyridamole)
5. Aggrenox (Aspirin/dipyridamole)

1. Stomach irritation, stomach pain, easy bruising, bleeding, and rash

1. You develop new rash
2. Any new bleeding such as dark tarry stools, vomiting blood or any bleeding that doesn't stop.

Beta blockers lower the heart rate and blood pressure, thus reducing the work of the heart. This is particularly important after a heart attack, during scar tissue formation.

1. Lopressor/Toprol (metoprolol), Toprol XL (metoprolol XL)
2. Tenormin (Atenolol)
3. Coreg (carvedilol)

1. Drowsiness, fatigue, or feeling tired. This usually improves as you continue to take the medication over 1 month
2. Lightheadedness and dizziness, headache
3. Male impotence
4. Slow heart rate

1. You have difficulty breathing after taking this medication
2. You develop fatigue or drowsiness that does not improve

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors helps the heart heal properly after a heart attack. It helps protects the heart and the kidneys and is used to treat high blood pressure.

1. Prininvil (lisinopril)
2. Captoten (captopril)
3. Altace (ramipril)
4. Monopril (fosinopril)
5. Accupril (quinapril)

1. Cough
2. May increase potassium levels
3. Low blood pressure symptoms: dizziness, headaches.

1. You develop a rash, or swelling in your face or neck
2. You develop a persistent cough

Angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) may slow progression of heart failure. It helps the heart heal and protects kidney disease. It is used to treat high blood pressure. It may be used in patients who develop a cough with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor.

1. Cozaar (losartan)
2. Avapro (irbesartan)
3. Diovan (valsartan)

1. Low blood pressure, dizziness, headaches
2. May increase potassium levels

1. Develop a rash, or swelling in the face or neck

Calcium channel blockers are used to treat high blood pressure, prevent coronary artery spasm, prevent angina, and control rapid heart beats.

1. Cardizem/Tiazac (diltiazem)
2. Norvasc (amlodipine)
3. Procardia (nifedipine)
4. Calan (verapamil)

1. Headache
2. Facial flushing
3. Constipation
4. Swelling of ankles

1. You develop swelling of the feet or hands
2. You develop dizziness after starting the drug

Cholesterol lowering agents are used to lower blood cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels reducing the risk of developing heart disease. Also, they help reduce major events such as heart attacks and death in patients who have been diagnosed with coronary artery disease.

1. Zocor (simvastatin)
2. Lipitor (atorvastatin)
3. Crestor( Rosuvastatin)
4. Mevacor(Lovastatin)
5. Pravachol(pravastatin)
6. Lescol (fluvastatin)
7. Questran(cholestyramine)
8. Tricor (fenofibrate)
9. Lopid (gemfibrozil)
10. Zetia (ezetimbe)
11. Welchol (colesevelam)
12. Colestid (colestipol)
13. Niacin
14. Omacor (omega 3 fatty acids)

1. Constipation
2. Diarrhea
3. Nausea, vomitting
4. Muscle soreness
5. May increase liver enzymes
6. Headaches

1. You develop rash after starting the medication
2. You develop severe muscle aches of entire body
3. You develop yellowing of skin or eyes

The primary indication for nitrates is to stop or prevent angina. Nitrates come in different forms including long acting tablets or patches, or short acting tablets that are absorbed under the tongue. Nitrates dilate the blood vessels, thus lowering blood pressure and lessening the work load of the heart.

1. Nitrostat(nitroglycerin tablets)
2. Nitroglycerin spray
3. Isordil (isosorbide dintrate)
4. Imdur (isosorbide mononitrate)
5. Nitropatch

1. Headache
2. Dizziness, light headness, flushing

1. You experience blurred vision, fainting, chest pain