Cardiovascular disease is disease of the heart and blood vessels. In coronary heart disease, fatty deposits build up inside the coronary arteries and make them narrower. Less blood reaches the heart muscle, and a blockage can cause a heart attack. There are three types of treatment, and each has benefits and drawbacks.
Lifestyle changes include stopping smoking, eating less saturated fat and salt, taking more exercise, drinking less alcohol and losing weight. They are cheap and have no side effects, and they also prevent other diseases, but the person needs long-term commitment and the effect is slow.
Medical treatments are drugs. Statins lower the level of blood cholesterol, so fewer fatty deposits form. Other drugs lower blood pressure. An anticoagulant such as warfarin reduces blood clotting, so a clot is less likely to block an artery. Drugs work well for many people, but they may have side effects and often must be taken for life.
Surgical treatments deal with damage directly. A stent is a small tube placed in a narrowed artery to hold it open. In a coronary bypass, a healthy blood vessel from another part of the body is used to go around a blockage. A damaged heart valve can be replaced, and a failing heart can be replaced by a transplant. Surgery can be very effective, but it carries risks such as bleeding, infection and the anaesthetic, it is expensive, and a transplant needs a donor. To evaluate a treatment, weigh its benefits against its risks and its cost.
