CAD Treatment & Prevention
Treatment for Coronary Artery Disease focuses on taking steps to manage symptoms and reduce the risk of the fatal effects of CAD. Treatment also depends on the symptoms one is experiencing and the severity of the disease.  It is aimed to control symptoms and to slow or stop the progression of the disease.
 

Treatment Options:

   

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 Medication: Medication is very useful in the treatment of Coronary Artery Disease and is used generally in every case. Although there is no medicine that can clear the blockage in the artery but there are still drugs that reduce the blockage to a particular degree. Blood thinners such as "simple" aspirin is used in some cases. Other medicines are used to decrease the heart rate thereby reducing the pressure on the coronary arteries.
   

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 Angioplasty: There are four types of procedures performed to open up the blockage in the coronary arteries. They are:
   
 

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 Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)- Often referred to as the "balloon" angioplasty is when a catheter with a balloon is inserted into the blocked artery and the balloon is inflated with air pumped into the catheter. Then the inflated balloon helps compress the plaque.
     
   

     
   

Coronary Balloon Angioplasty
   

Illustration showing coronary angioplasty to restore blood flow through a narrowed or blocked artery in the heart using a thin tube with a balloon which is threaded through a blood vessel up to the site of a narrowing or blockage in a coronary artery where it is then inflated to push the plaque outward against the wall of the artery, widening the artery and restoring the flow of blood through it.
     
 

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 Stent Angioplasty- In stent angioplasty, a medicated stent is inserted through the catheter on the spot of the blockage to open up the arteries for blood flow and dissolve the plaque.
   

Stent Placement
   

Illustration showing a stent being inserted in the area where the artery is narrowed to keep it open.
     
 

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 Rotoblator Angioplasty- In Rotoblator angioplasty thin rotoblators, which contain small brush-like extensions, pulverize the plaque into very small fragments which are washed away by the blood. Athrectomies, suck out relatively large particles of plaque, using catheters thereby removing plaque and/or clots.
     
 

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 Lasers- Lasers are used rarely for angioplasty. Lasers burn the plaque, however they are not the best form of treatment since sometimes relatively large particles of this "burned up" plaque can travel with the blood to other parts of the body and can form a blood clot or blockage which may turn out to be fatal. For example, if it travels to the brain it may cause stroke and if it travels to the feet it may cause paralysis.
     

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 Bypass Surgery: Bypass surgery is generally conducted on patients where Angioplasty is not possible due to full blockage of one or more coronary arteries. In bypass surgery, a vein is extracted from the leg and grafted it to the heart to bypass the blocked arteries.
   
 

   
  Prevention
  Prevention of Coronary Artery Disease depends on how one decides to reduce the risk factors of the disease. Prevention options include:
  ¨ Healthy Diet
  ¨ Regular Exercise
  ¨ Prevent smoking, drinking alcohol, and drugs
  ¨ Understanding family heredity