If you have a heart attack, you will likely be prescribed medication that you will take for the rest of your life.
There are many types and combinations of drugs used to treat coronary artery disease (CAD), and your health care team will determine the best treatment plan for your situation.
Below, we briefly discuss many heart medicines. Your prescription may have a different name than the one listed in this table. The brand names commonly available in the United States are shown in parentheses after each drug’s generic name.
*Some of the main types of commonly prescribed cardiovascular drugs are summarized in this section. For your information and reference, we have included the common names and major brand names to help you identify what you are taking. but, AHA does not recommend or endorse any particular product. If your medication is not on this list, remember that your health care team and pharmacist are your best sources of information. It is important to discuss all the medications you are taking to understand the desired effects and possible side effects. Never stop taking your medicine or change its dosage or frequency without consulting your prescribing health care professional.
anticoagulant
(Also known as a blood thinner.)
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Apixaban (Eliquis)
- Dabigatran (Pradaxa)
- Edoxaban (Sabaisa)
- Heparin (various)
- Rivaroxaban (Charelto)
- Warfarin (Coumadin)
action of medicine
Decreases blood’s ability to coagulate (coagulate). Although they are sometimes called blood thinners, they do not actually thin the blood. They do not dissolve existing blood clots and are used to treat certain blood vessel, heart, and lung conditions.
Reason for medication
- Helps prevent blood clots from forming in blood vessels.
- This can prevent blood clots from growing larger and causing more serious problems.
- It is often prescribed to prevent a first or recurring stroke or heart attack.
Antiplatelet drugs and dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- aspirin
- Clopidogrel (Plavix))
- Dipyridamole (Persanthin)
- Prasugrel (Efient)
- Chikagurelor (Buririnta)
action of medicine
It prevents platelets from sticking together and prevents blood clots from forming.
Reason for medication
- Helps prevent clotting in people who have had a heart attack, unstable angina, ischemic stroke, TIA (transient ischemic attack), and other cardiovascular diseases.
- It can also be used prophylactically when plaque buildup is evident but the artery does not yet have a major blockage.
- Certain people are prescribed a treatment that combines aspirin with another antiplatelet drug (also called dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)).
Dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT)
Some people who have a heart attack and have stents placed in their coronary arteries or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) are given two types of antiplatelet drugs at the same time to prevent blood clotting. This is called dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT).
One antiplatelet drug is aspirin. Almost everyone with coronary artery disease, including those who have had a heart attack, stent, or CABG, will be treated with aspirin for the rest of their lives. A second type of antiplatelet drug called P2Y12 In addition to aspirin therapy, inhibitors are usually prescribed for several months or years.
The type of medication and length of treatment depend on your condition and other risk factors. The risks and benefits of DAPT should be discussed with your healthcare team.
How long you need to take this medication depends on the reason it was prescribed and the risk of future blood clots or bleeding.
- If you have had a heart attack, it is recommended that you continue for at least a year. If you are not at high risk of bleeding, taking the drug for a longer period of time may reduce your risk of a future heart attack.
- If you have a “bare metal” stent inserted and your risk of bleeding is high, your health care professional may decide to administer P2Y.12 Inhibitors are used for short periods of time to reduce the chance of bleeding. However, if your risk of bleeding is low, you may have been treated with a drug-eluting stent and may have used DAPT for more than 6 to 12 months. If you are not at high risk of bleeding, a longer period may reduce your risk of a future heart attack or stent clotting. It is important to take prescribed medicines correctly. Stopping it yourself can increase the risk of blood clots forming inside the stent, especially during the first few months.
- If you have had CABG, you may be treated with P2Y12 Inhibitors were taken for 1 year after surgery.
If you have questions about treatment, please consult your doctor.
Print the patient information sheet in DAPT (PDF).
Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Benazepril (Lotensin)
- Captopril (Capotene)
- Enalapril (Vasotec)
- Fosinopril (Monopril)
- Lisinopril (Prinivir, Zestril)
- Moexipril (Univasc)
- Perindopril (Aceon)
- Quinapril (Accupril)
- Ramipril (Altus)
- Trandolapril (Mavik)
action of medicine
Lowers blood pressure by widening blood vessels. This reduces the burden on the heart.
Reason for medication
- Used to treat or improve symptoms of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and heart failure.
- It also provides health benefits for people who have had a heart attack.
Angiotensin II receptor antagonists (or inhibitors)
(Also known as ARB)
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Azilsartan (edalubi)
- Candesartan (Atacand)
- Eprosartan (teveten)
- Irbesartan (Avapro)
- losartan (cozar)
- Olmesartan (Benicar)
- Telmisartan (Micardis)
- Valsartan (Diovan)
action of medicine
Angiotensin II receptor antagonists prevent angiotensin II from affecting the heart and blood vessels. This suppresses the rise in blood pressure.
Reason for medication
- Used to treat or improve symptoms of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and heart failure.
Angiotensin receptor neprilysin inhibitor (ARNI)
ARNI is a drug that combines a neprilysin inhibitor and an ARB.
Commonly prescribed are:
- Sacubitril/Valsartan (Entresto)
action of medicine
ARNI improves arterial opening and blood flow, reduces sodium (salt) retention, and reduces strain on the heart.
Reason for medication
- For the treatment of heart failure
beta blocker
(Also known as beta-adrenergic blockers)
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Acebutolol (topical)
- Atenolol (Tenormin)
- Betaxolol (Keruron)
- Bisoprolol/hydrochlorothiazide (Ziac)
- Bisoprolol (Zebeta)
- Metoprolol (Lopressor, Toprol XL)
- Nadolol (Kogard)
- Propranolol (Inderal)
- Sotalol (beta pace)
action of medicine
The heart rate and force of contractions slow, blood pressure decreases, and the heart beats more slowly and with less force.
Reason for medication
- It is used to treat some types of heart attacks, high blood pressure, chest pain caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle (angina pectoris), and some arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
- It is used to prevent future heart attacks in people who have had a heart attack.
Combination of alpha and beta blockers
A combination of alpha and beta blockers is used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure.
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Carvedilol (Coreg, Coreg CR)
- Labetalol Hydrochloride (Nomodyne, Trandate)
The following side effects have been noted when combining alpha and beta blockers:
- Your blood pressure may drop when you stand up.
calcium channel blocker
(Also known as calcium antagonists or calcium blockers)
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Amlodipine (Norvasc)
- Diltiazem (Cardizem, Thiazac)
- Felodipine (Prendil)
- Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
- Nimodipine (Nimotop)
- Nisoldipine (slur)
- Verapamil (Karan, Veleran)
action of medicine
It prevents the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. It can reduce the heart’s pumping power and relax blood vessels.
Reason for medication
- It is used to treat high blood pressure, chest pain caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle (angina), and some arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
drugs that lower cholesterol
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Statins: atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pitavastatin (Livalo), pravastatin (Pravachol), rosuvastatin (Crestor), simvastatin (Zocor)
- Nicotinic acid: Niacin
- Cholesterol absorption inhibitor: Ezetimibe (Zetia)
- Combination of statins and cholesterol absorption inhibitors: Ezetimibe/Simvastatin (Vytorin)
action of medicine
Various drugs can lower blood cholesterol levels, but drugs other than statins are usually used only in patients for whom statins are ineffective or for patients who experience serious side effects from statin therapy. They work in the body in different ways. Some affect the liver, some act in the intestines, and some interfere with the production of cholesterol that circulates in the blood. Watch this animation showing how statins work.
Reason for medication
Used to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
*Some cholesterol-lowering drugs may interact with grapefruit, grapefruit juice, pomegranates, and pomegranate juice. Please consult your health care professional regarding potential risks.
Preparation of digitalis
Commonly prescribed are:
action of medicine
Increases the force of your heartbeat and slows down your fast heart rate. It is effective in treating heart failure and arrhythmia.
Reason for medication
- It is used to relieve symptoms of heart failure, especially when patients do not respond to other standard treatments such as ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and diuretics.
- It also slows down certain types of irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), especially atrial fibrillation.
diuretic
(Also called water pill)
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Acetazolamide (Diamox)
- Amiloride (Midamol)
- Bumetanide (Bumex)
- Chlorothiazide (diuryl)
- Chlorthalidone (hygroton)
- Furosemide (Lasix)
- Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix, Hydrodiuril)
- Indapamide (Rozol)
- Metallozone (zaloxoline)
- Spironolactone (Aldactone)
- Torsemide (Demadex)
action of medicine
Allows the body to eliminate excess water and sodium through urination. Helps reduce the burden on the heart. It also reduces fluid accumulation in other parts of the body, such as the lungs and ankles and legs. Different diuretics remove fluid at different rates and in different ways.
Reason for medication
- It is used to lower blood pressure and reduce swelling (edema) caused by the accumulation of excess fluid in the body.
vasodilator
Commonly prescribed medications include:
- Isosorbide nitrate (Isorudil)
- Isosorbide mononitrate (Imdur)
- Hydralazine (apresoline)
- Nitroglycerin (nitro bid, nitro statistics)
- minoxidil
action of medicine
By widening (dilating) blood vessels, blood flows more easily, the heart doesn’t have to work as hard, and blood pressure decreases.
A type of vasodilator called nitrates increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing the heart’s work and relieving chest pain (angina). Nitroglycerin is available as tablets that are swallowed or absorbed under the tongue (sublingual), sprays, and topical applications (creams).
Reason for medication
- Used to relieve chest pain (angina)
- Used to treat essential hypertension
- Treatment of high blood pressure due to pregnancy
