As heart disease and heart problems become more common heart medications are being prescribed more often. This is a list of the most commonly prescribed heart medications. There are additional resource links at the end of this article.
Drug Health Review The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Heart Medications
Here are The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications:
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #1:Name of Group of Medications – Anticoagulants (Also known as Blood Thinners) The most commonly prescribed names include:
Dalteparin (Fragmin)
Danaparoid (Orgaran)
Enoxaparin (Lovenox)
Heparin (various)
Tinzaparin (Innohep)
and Warfarin (Coumadin)
What does the medication do -These medications will decrease the clotting (coagulating) ability of the blood of the user. Also known as blood thinners, in spite of the fact that they do not actually thin the blood. Blood thiners do NOT dissolve existing blood clots. Used to treat certain blood vessel, heart and lung conditions.
Reason for medication – Blood thinners will help to prevent harmful clots from forming in the blood vessels.May prevent the clots from becoming larger and causing more serious problems. Often prescribed to prevent first or recurrent stroke.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #2: Name of medication – Antiplatelet Agents Commonly prescribed include:
Aspirin, Ticlopidine, Clopidogrel and Dipyridamole
What the medication does – Keeps blood clots from forming by preventing blood platelets from sticking together.
Reason for the medication – Helps prevent clotting in patients who have had a heart attack, unstable angina, ischemic strokes, TIA (transient ischemic attacks, or “little strokes”) and other forms of cardiovascular disease. Usually prescribed as a prevention, when plaque buildup is evident but there is not yet a large obstruction in the artery.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #3: Name of medication – Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) Inhibitors Commonly prescribed include:
Benazepril (Lotensin)
Captopril (Capoten)
Enalapril (Vasotec)
Fosinopril (Monopril)
Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
Moexipril (Univasc)
Perindopril (Aceon)
Quinapril (Accupril)
Ramipril (Altace) and
Trandolapril (Mavik)
What medication does – Expands blood vessels and decreases resistance by lowering levels of angiotensin II. Allows blood to flow more easily and makes the heart’s work easier or more efficient.
Reason for medication – Used to treat or improve symptoms of cardiovascular conditions including high blood pressure and heart failure.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #4: Name of medication – Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers (or Inhibitors) (Also known as ARBs, Angiotensin-2 Receptor Antagonists and AT-2) Commonly prescribed include:
Candesartan (Atacand)
Eprosartan (Teveten)
Irbesartan (Avapro)
Losartan (Cozaar)
Telmisartan (Micardis) and
Valsartan (Diovan)
What the medication does – Rather than lowering levels of angiotensin II (as ACE inhibitors do) angiotensin II receptor blockers prevent this chemical from having any effects on the heart and blood vessels. This keeps blood pressure from rising.
Reason for medication – Used to treat or improve symptoms of cardiovascular conditions including high blood pressure and heart failure.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #5: Name of medication – Beta Blockers (Also known as Beta-Adrenergic Blocking Agents) Commonly prescribed include:
Acebutolol (Sectral)
Atenolol (Tenormin)
Betaxolol (Kerlone)
Bisoprolol/
hydrochlorothiazide (Ziac)
Bisoprolol (Zebeta)
Carteolol (Cartrol)
Metoprolol (Lopressor,
Toprol XL)
Nadolol (Corgard)
Propranolol (Inderal)
Sotalol (Betapace) and
Timolol (Blocadren)
What the medication does – Decreases the heart rate and cardiac output, which lowers blood pressure and makes the heart beat more slowly and with less force.
Reason for medication – Used to lower blood pressure. Used with therapy for cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and in treating chest pain (angina). Used to prevent future heart attacks in patients who have had a heart attack.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #6: Name of medication – Calcium Channel Blockers (Also known as Calcium Antagonists or Calcium Blockers) Commonly prescribed include:
Amlodipine (Norvasc, Lotrel)
Bepridil (Vascor)
Diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac)
Felodipine (Plendil)
Nifedipine (Adalat, Procardia)
Nimodipine (Nimotop)
Nisoldipine (Sular) and
Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin, Verelan
What the medication does – Interrupts the movement of calcium into the cells of the heart and blood vessels. May decrease the heart’s pumping strength and relax blood vessels.
Reason for medication – Used to treat high blood pressure, chest pain (angina) caused by reduced blood supply to the heart muscle and some arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms).
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #7: Name of medication – Diuretics (Also known as Water Pills) Commonly prescribed include:
Amiloride (Midamor)
Bumetanide (Bumex)
Chlorothiazide (Diuril)
Chlorthalidone (Hygroton)
Furosemide (Lasix)
Hydrochlorothiazide (Esidrix,
Hydrodiuril)
Indapamide (Lozol) and
Spironolactone (Aldactone)
What the medication does – Causes the body to rid itself of excess fluids and sodium through urination. Helps to relieve the heart’s workload. Also decreases the buildup of fluid in the lungs and other parts of the body, such as the ankles and legs. Different diuretics remove fluid at varied rates and through different methods.
Reason for medication – Used to help lower blood pressure. Used to help reduce swelling (edema) from excess buildup of fluid in the body.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #8: Name of medication – Vasodilators (Also known as Nitrates. Nitroglycerin tablets are a form of vasodilator.) Commonly prescribed include:
Isosorbide dinitrate (Isordil)
Nesiritide (Natrecor)
Hydralazine (Apresoline)
Nitrates and
Minoxidil
What medication does – Relaxes blood vessels and increases the supply of blood and oxygen to the heart while reducing its workload. Prescribed to patients who cannot tolerate ACE inhibitors (another type of medicine that relaxes the blood vessels.) Can come in pills to be swallowed, chewable tablets and as a topical application (cream).
Reason for medication – Used to ease chest pain (angina).
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications #8: Name Of Medication – Digitalis Preparations (Also known as Digoxin and Digitoxin) Commonly prescribed include:
Lanoxin
What the medication does – Increases the force of the heart’s contractions, which can be beneficial in heart failure and for irregular heart beats.
Reason for medication – Used to relieve heart failure symptoms, especially when the patient isn’t responding to ACE inhibitors and diuretics. Also slows certain types of irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias), particularly atrial fibrillation.
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Heart Medications #10: Name of medication – Statins Common types of cholesterollowering drugs include statins, resins and nicotinic acid (niacin), gemfibrozil and clofibrate.
What the medication does – Various medications can lower blood cholesterol levels. They may be prescribed individually or in combination with other rugs. They work in the body in different ways. Some affect the liver, some work in the intestines and some interrupt the formation of cholesterol from circulating in the blood. Please see americanheart.org/cholesterol for detailed information on these complex drugs.
Reason for medication – Used to lower LDL (”bad”) cholesterol, raise HDL (”good”) cholesterol and lower triglyceride levels.
Disclosure
Resource:
Heart.org: Cardiac Medications
The Top 10 Most Commonly Prescribed Types Of Heart Medications