Dr Richard Bogle PhD FRCP FESC FACC DHMSA
Consultant Cardiologist
  • Home
  • NHS Practice
    • NHS Practice
    • St Helier Hospital
    • Epsom Cardiac Day Unit
    • St George's Hospital Radial Lounge
    • Echocardiography
  • Biography
    • Qualifications
    • About me >
      • Curriculum vitae
    • Appraisal and Revalidation
    • BCIS Angioplasty Audit
    • Publications
    • Recent abstracts
    • Research
    • Charitable activity
  • The Heart
    • Cardiac Investigations >
      • AliveCor ECG monitor
      • Guide to investigations for suspected angina
      • CT calcium scoring
      • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
      • Exercise treadmill test
      • Echocardiogram
      • Valve disease
      • Coronary Angiography
      • Pressure Wire Studies
      • Intra-vascular Ultrasound
    • Arrhythmias >
      • Atrial fibrillation >
        • Stroke Risk in AF
        • New Oral Anticoagulants
        • Presentations on AF
      • Atrial flutter
      • Pre-excitation syndromes
      • Ventricular ectopic beats
      • Ventricular arrhythmias
      • Pacemaker
      • DC Cardioversion
    • Cardiomyopathy
    • Coronary heart disease >
      • Cardiac syndrome X
      • Coronary Angioplasty
      • Coronary bypass surgery
    • Dizziness and blackouts
    • Fitness to fly
    • Fitness to drive
    • Heart Failure
    • Hypertension >
      • Patients guide to blood pressure medication
      • Home blood pressure monitors
      • Hypertension diet
      • Laragh's method
      • Renal sympathetic ablation for hypertension
      • Conn's Syndrome
    • Heart Screening >
      • Sports Cardiology
      • Cardiovascular Disease Risk
    • Medications >
      • Glyceryl trinitrate
    • Patient information leaflets
  • News and Links
  • Miscellany
    • History of Medicine
    • History of Coronary Angiography and Angioplasty
    • Stamps in Cardiology
    • A History of Medicine in 100 Objects
    • BSE Acceditation Course Introduction
    • BSE Acceditation Course Physics
    • BSE Acceditation Course Anatomy and Function
    • BSE Acceditation Course Mitral
    • BSE Acceditation Course Aortic
    • BSE Acceditation Course Congenital
    • BSE Acceditation Course Pericardium
  • Blog
  • RACPC Form
  • Cardiology Teaching St Helier Hospital

Medication for the heart

Picture
Patients with heart disease are often prescribed a great number of different tablets to take. For example after a heart attack a person might be put on 5 different drugs (e.g. aspirin, clopidogrel, ramipril, bisoprolol, atorvastatin). This seems like a lot of medication but over the last 30 years each type of medicine has been test in large clinical trials which have shown benefit to people treated with these drugs.

In this section we deal with the common types of medication used in cardiology

Medication

Anti-platelet Drugs
Aspirin
Clopidogrel
Prasugrel
Tigacrelor
Dipyridamole
There drugs reduce the ability of the platelet in blood to stick to each other and also to the lining of the blood vessels. This increases the time it takes for blood clotting to occur.
These drugs are used to prevent and treat heart attack and stroke and are routinely given after coronary artery stenting. Sometimes a combination of medication is used e.g. aspirin and clopidogrel especially after a coronary stent has been implanted.
Anti-Coagulants
Warfarin
Dabigatran
Rivaroxaban
Apixaban
These drugs reduce the ability of the blood to clot by either blocking the production of clotting factors in the liver (warfarin) or directly blocking the activity of some of the clotting factors (e.g. thrombin or factor Xa).
These drugs are used to prevent clotting of the blood especially in people with rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation or flutter, in patients with clots in the veins of the legs or lung or in people with metallic heart valves.
Warfarin has been around for the long time but can be difficult for some people to take as the dose often varies and the effect can be less predictable. The new oral anticoagulant drugs (NOAC) listed have a more predictable effect and do not need to be monitored with blood tests. These drugs are licenced for the treatment of patients with DVT and pulmonary embolism and also atrial fibrillation. They are not suitable at present for people with artificial metallic heart valves.
Beta-blockers
Bisoprolol
Atenolol
Metoprolol
Carvedilol
These drugs are used as treatments for palpitations, angina, heart failure. They were used originally to treat high blood pressure but whilst effective there are better drugs now available.
ACE Inhibitors and ARBs
Rampril
Lisinopril

Losartan
Irbesartan
Nitrates
GTN
Isosorbide mononitrate
Diuretics
Frusemide
Bumetanide

Spironolactone
Amiloride
Statins
Simvastatin
Atorvastatin
Pravastatin
Anti-arrhythmics
Flecanide
Propafenone
Sotalol
Amiodarone
Dronedarone
Mexilitine
Return to home page

Privacy Statement
Disclaimer
© Dr Richard Bogle 2020
patient feedback