Angina is a symptom of various heart conditions. Thus, managing chronic Angina is often a lifesaving move. Usually, patients suffering from Angina experience chest pain resulting from a reduction in blood flow to the heart muscles. Fortunately, there are several treatment methods for Angina, including active clinical and medical trials to control and reduce the risks of Angina. This post offers key insights on Angina treatment.
Angina Causes and Symptoms
The major causes of Angina are coronary arteries diseases. Essentially, Angina occurs when cholesterol builds up in the coronary arteries and reduces the supply of oxygen-rich blood to the heart. In addition, smoking and artery damages can increase the risk of Angina. The main triggers of the pain are physical tension, cold, or stress.
Chest pain is the most common symptom of Angina. Typically, Angina creates a sensation of tightness, pressure, squeezing, or burning in the chest that spreads to other body parts like arms, back, shoulders, jaws, and neck.
Other symptoms of Angina include:
- Indigestion
- Nausea
- Short breath
- Sweating
- Weakness
Angina Treatment
There are various approaches to Angina treatment. Effective treatment begins with a correct diagnosis that includes a physical examination, symptom analysis, medical history review, and risk assessment. The doctor then recommends testing, including blood, stress, X-ray, or EKG tests. Based on the results, one may undergo the following treatments:
Lifestyle Changes
The following are the main recommended lifestyles changes for Angina treatment:
- Weight management
- Regular physical exercises
- Cholesterol check-ups
- Stress management
- Diet management by avoiding high-fat products
- Avoiding smoking and drug abuse
Medication
The doctor may prescribe drugs, such as nitrates, to manage Angina. Generally, nitrates help to relax and open blood vessels in order to prevent and reduce Angina effects. Other prescriptive medicines include anticoagulants, statins, calcium channel blockers, or beta-blockers. Notably, high blood pressure medication also assists in managing Angina. However, if medication is not effective, surgical procedures like angioplasty can be necessary.
Angina Treatment Trials
There are several clinical trials for Angina management. These trials explore and test new approaches to preventing, detecting, testing and treating Angina. The most common treatment trials aim at heart rate reduction, vascular smooth muscle relaxation, and metabolic modulation. For instance, there are medication trials for amiodarone and ranolazine drugs, which help in a heart rate reduction. Also, there are trials for Angiogenesis therapy aimed at stimulating new vessels to improve blood circulation. Lastly, ongoing studies on herbal medication, especially Chinese medicines, may improve Angina symptoms.
Overall, Angina is a major medical concern, despite the existing medication, surgical, and lifestyle treatment approaches. Angina treatment trials on pharmacological therapies may offer better health outcomes for the prevention, treatment, and management of Angina.
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