The LORD watches over the way of the righteous. In an average lifetime, a human heart beats approximately 2.5 billion times, sending blood to the rest of the body through a 60,000-mile network of blood vessels. Fortunately, there are new treatments for coronary artery disease, including nonsurgical alternatives. Medications May Make a Difference Medications play an important role in fighting heart disease. Physicians may prescribe aspirin or warfarin to help prevent clotting.
Beta blockers help reduce the demand on the heart by lowering the heart rate and blood pressure.
A long, hollow tube or catheter, is inserted into an artery in the groin or arm. Using X-ray images on a television screen, the cardiologist maneuvers the catheter through the artery until it reaches the blockage. A tiny uninflated balloon is threaded through the catheter and inflated to widen the artery and flatten the blockage against artery walls. The stent decreases the odds of the artery narrowing again. Another Option Atherectomy is a procedure similar to angioplasty, except that the second tube contains a cutting or drilling tool to remove the plaque.