Ways of treating cardiovascular disease
Coronary heart disease
Drugs and surgery can help to control coronary heart disease.
Statins
Statins are drugs that help to lower cholesterol in the blood. They do this by lowering its production in the The large organ, beside the stomach, which has many functions, including processing substances absorbed by the digestive system and a role in the storage of the body's carbohydrate..
Statins are prescribed for people with heart disease or who have a high risk of developing it. They need to be taken long-term. A type of lipid (fatty substance). levels will rise again if a person stops taking them.
Some patients taking statins experience side-effects such as diarrhoea, headaches and feeling sick.
Statins are not suitable for everyone - they should not be prescribed for people with liver disease, or pregnant or breast feeding women.
Stents
Coronary arteries that are blocked or have become narrow can be stretched open and a A device, consisting of a wire mesh tube, used to keep a narrowed or blocked coronary artery open. inserted to restore and maintain blood flow.
They can be used in instances where drugs are less effective, and offer a longer term solution. Stents are made from metal An alloy is a mixture of two or more elements, at least one of which is a metal. and do not lead to an immune response in the patient.
Over 90 000 operations are carried out in the UK each year. Risk factors depend on the patient's:
- age
- general health
- whether they have had a heart attack
The operation is safe as it does not involve surgery, but there is a risk of bleeding, heart attack or stroke.