These medicines prevent or treat disorders of the cardiovascular system, such as high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), irregular heart beat, heart failure, blood clots, and high cholesterol. Some types of medicines can treat many conditions. For example, beta blockers can treat high blood pressure, angina (chest pain), and irregular heart beats.
ACE Inhibitors (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors)
ACE inhibitors alone or with other medicines lower blood pressure or treat heart failure. They relax blood vessels so blood flows more smoothly and the heart can pump blood better.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
- captopril
- enalapril
- lisinopril
- moexipril
- quinapril
- ramipril
| Food: Take captopril and moexipril one hour before meals.
ACE inhibitors can increase the amount of potassium in your body. Too much potassium can be harmful and can cause an irregular heartbeat and heart palpitations (rapid heart beats). Avoid eating large amounts of foods high in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, green leafy vegetables, and salt substitutes that contain potassium. They can raise the level of potassium even higher. Tell your doctor if you are taking salt substitutes with potassium, potassium supplements, or diuretics (water pills) because these can add to the amount of potassium in your body. |
Beta Blockers
Beta blockers can be used alone or with other medicines to treat high blood pressure. They are also used to prevent angina (chest pain) and treat heart attacks. They work by slowing the heart rate and relaxing the blood vessels so the heart doesn't have to work as hard to pump blood.
Don't suddenly stop taking a beta blocker without talking to your doctor. If you stop a beta blocker suddenly, you can get chest pain, an irregular heartbeat, or a heart attack. Your doctor might tell you to decrease your dose gradually.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
| Food: Take carvedilol with food to decrease the chance it will lower your blood pressure too much. Take carvedilol extended release capsules in the morning with food; don't crush, chew, or divide the capsule. Take metoprolol with a meal or right after a meal. |
Diuretics
Sometimes called "water pills," diuretics help remove water, sodium, and chloride from the body. Diuretics reduce sodium and the swelling and excess fuid caused by some medical problems such as heart or liver disease. Diuretics can also treat high blood pressure.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
- bumetanide
- furosemide
- hydrochlorothiazide
- metolazone
- triamterene
- triamterene + hydrochlorothiazide
| Food: Take your diuretic with food if it upsets your stomach.
Some diuretics cause loss of the minerals potassium, calcium, and magnesium from the body.
Other diuretics, like triamterene (not with hydrochlorothiazide), lower the kidneys' ability to remove potassium, which can cause high levels of potassium in the blood stream (hyperkalemia). Too much potassium can be harmful and can cause an irregular or rapid beating of the heart. When you use diuretics that can increase potassium in your body, avoid eating large amounts of foods high in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, and green leafy vegetables, and salt substitutes that contain potassium. They can raise the level of potassium even higher. Tell your doctor if you are taking salt substitutes with potassium or potassium supplements because they can add to the amount of potassium in your body. |
Glycosides
Glycosides treat heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms. They help control the heart rate and help the heart work better.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
| Food: Take digoxin one hour before or two hours after eating food. Try to take it at the same time(s) every day and carefully follow the label and directions from your doctor. Foods high in fiber may decrease the digoxin in your body, so take digoxin at least two hours before or two hours after eating foods high in fiber (such as bran). Avoid taking digoxin with senna and St. John's wort since they may decrease the amount and action of digoxin in your body. Avoid taking digoxin with black licorice (which contains the glycyrrhizin used in some candies, cakes and other sweets). Digoxin with glycyrrhizin can cause irregular heart beat and heart attack. |
Lipid-Altering Agents (also called Statins)
Statins lower cholesterol by lowering the rate of production of LDL (low-density lipoproteins, or sometimes called "bad cholesterol"). Some of these medicines also lower triglycerides.
Some statins can raise HDL-C (high-density lipoproteins, or sometimes called "good cholesterol"), and lower the chance of heart attack, stroke, or small strokes.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
- atorvastatin
- fluvastatin
- lovastatin
- pravastatin
- simvastatin
- rosuvastatin
| Food: You can take most statins on a full or empty stomach. Some statins will work better if you take them with an evening meal. Don't drink more than one quart of grapefruit juice a day if you are taking atorvastatin, lovastatin, or simvastatin. Large amounts of grapefruit juice can raise the levels of those statins in your body and increase the chance of side effects. Some statins don't interact with grapefruit juice. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Alcohol: Avoid alcohol because it can increase the chance of liver damage. |
Vasodilators-Nitrates
Nitrates prevent or treat chest pain (angina). They work by relaxing the blood vessels to the heart, which improves the blood and oxygen flow to the heart.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
- isosorbide dinitrate or mononitrate nitroglycerin
| Food: You can take all forms of nitrates on a full or empty stomach. Alcohol: Avoid alcohol. Alcohol may add to the blood vessel-relaxing effect of nitrates and lead to a dangerously low blood pressure. |
Vitamin K Agonists/Anticoagulants
Anticoagulants are also called "blood thinners." They lower the chance of blood clots forming or growing larger in your blood or blood vessels. Anticoagulants are used to treat people with certain types of irregular heartbeat, people with prosthetic (replacement or mechanical) heart valves, and people who have had a heart attack. Anticoagulants also treat blood clots that have formed in the veins of the legs or lungs.
| Examples | Interactions |
|---|
| Food: You can take warfarin on a full or empty stomach. Vitamin K in food can make the medicine less effective. Eat a normal balanced diet with a steady amount of leafy green vegetables, and talk to your doctor before making changes in your diet. Foods high in vitamin K include broccoli, cabbage, collard greens, spinach, kale, turnip greens, and brussel sprouts. Avoid cranberry juice or cranberry products while using anticoagulants because they can change the effects of warfarin. Many dietary supplements and vitamins can interact with anticoagulants and can reduce the benefit or increase the risk of warfarin. Avoid garlic, ginger, glucosamine, ginseng, and ginkgo because they can increase the chance of bleeding. Alcohol: Tell your doctor and pharmacist if you drink alcohol or have problems with alcohol abuse. Avoid alcohol because it can affect your dose of warfarin. |