Effective drug treatment now thankfully exists for most cardiac conditions, though some have side effects in individuals, and logical effect of many need to be monitored for instance with blood tests or ECG recordings. The use of combination drug therapy is common in cardiac patients, but such combinations always carry the possibility of deleterious interaction between drugs, and this may require specialist advice.
Some of the most commonly used heart drugs may fall into the following areas:
• Drugs for cholesterol such as statins eg simvastatin, atorvastatin and rosuvastatin.
• Drugs that slow or steady the rhythm of the heart, such as beta blockers, diltiazem, verapamil and digoxin
• Drugs which treat both blood pressure and weak heart muscle such as ACE inhibitors and Angiotensin receptor antagonists (ARBs)
• Drugs which make blood less likely to clot, such as aspirin, clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor, warfarin and dabigatran
• More powerful anti-arrhythmic drugs such as sotalol, amiodarone, dronedarone, flecainide and propafenone
• Diuretics for blood pressure and heart failure, such as bendroflumethiazide, furosemide, bumetanide and spironolactone
• Drugs for angina such as nitrates, ISMO, GTN, nicorandil and amlodipine, which can be used for blood pressure as well as angina.
Details about these drugs is beyond the scope of this website, but accurate information can be obtained from your family doctor, or for health professionals, from the British National Formulary.
Warning: many cardiac drugs should not be stopped abruptly, nor without discussion with an appropriately qualified doctor. The information in this website is not intended to replace medical or cardiological advice and is intended as purely for illustrative purposes.
Dr Nicholas Pegge MA (Cantab.) MB BS (London) FRCP