Patients who have angina will mostly likely have an initial treatment program developed for them by their internist and/or cardiologist. It is important to begin any treatment regimen with a good diet and an exercise program. The goal of medical treatment for angina involves measures to lessen the chances that the heart muscle will exhaust its limited oxygenated blood supply. To accomplish this, some medications, such as beta-blockers or calcium channel blockers, reduce the amount of oxygen needed by the heart. Other medications, such as nitroglycerine, increase the blood supply to the heart.

Surgical treatments are designed to bring additional blood supply to the heart. Angioplasty and stenting procedures open up narrowed coronary blood vessels, whereas coronary artery bypass grafting opens up new conduits to bring blood supply to the heart. Sometimes experimental treatment methods are attempted, such as transmyocardial laser revascularization or external counterpulsation.

In severe cases of angina, these methods may be unsatisfactory, and the patient still has debilitating angina pain.

Reference

Gibbons RJ, Abrams J, Chatterjee K, et al. ACC/AHA 2002 guideline update for the management of patients with chronic stable angina: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee to Update the 1999 Guidelines for the management of Patients with Chronic Stable Angina). 2002.