Treating Cardio Vascular Diseases

with drugs
 Drug groups
There are 4 different drug groups for treating
CVD’s:
• Statins
• Antihypertensives
• Anticoagulants
• Platelet inhibitors
They are sorted according to their modes of
action and they have their own risks & benefits.
 Statins
Help by decreasing cholesterol production in
liver cells by blocking cholesterol synthesis. This
means that it increases LDL receptors on liver
cells so more LDL cholesterol is removed from
the blood. Thus it reduces the risk of plaque
formation in the arteries by lowering the blood
cholesterol levels. There also risks such as (are)
muscle pain and memory pain.
 Antihypertensives
This type of CVD drug lowers the blood pressure
level. Lower blood pressure help to reduce
strain on the heart thus decreasing the chances
of damaging artery walls (which could lead to
blood clots or atheroma). There side effects for
this drug which include dizziness, headaches
and fluid retention, though they vary from
person to person.
 Anticoagulants
These drugs decrease the ability of clotting
blood, though different stages of the blood
clotting process is affected according to the
drugs. They are quick to work and they prevent
clots forming and also prevent the existing clots
from becoming bigger.
 Platelet inhibitors
It stops the platelets from collecting together
usually by preventing the formation of fibrin
which holds them together. It also inhibits the
formation of thrombus which lowers the risk of
a heart attack or stroke. It’s so effective that
chewing an aspirin at the onset of a heart attack
can seriously lower the risk of death. It’s risk is
the same as anticoagulants which is increased
risk of bleeding complications.
 Prevention is better than cure
Even though there are drugs for treating CVDs it
is better & cheaper to not have these diseases in
the first place. The are 2 main risk factors of
CVDs – smoking and obesity. These can be
prevented quite easily. First, stop/prevent
smoking and second don’t overeat and to
exercise daily. But these days people have
become lazy and ignorant that they rather have
CVDs than to prevent them. Only later do they
realize prevention is better than cure.