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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffBecause heart disease is often the cause of most forms of angina, you can reduce or prevent angina by working on reducing your heart disease risk factors. Making lifestyle changes is the most important step you can take.
- If you smoke, stop smoking.
- Eat a healthy diet with limited amounts of saturated fat, lots of whole grains, and many fruits and vegetables.
- Talk to your doctor about starting a safe exercise plan.
- If you're overweight, talk to your doctor about weight-loss options.
- Take anti-angina medications as prescribed and follow your doctor's directions.
- Treat diseases or conditions that can increase your risk of angina, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol.
- Because angina is often brought on by exertion, pace yourself and take rest breaks.
- Avoid large meals that make you feel overly full.
- Try to find ways to relax. Talk with your doctor about stress-reduction techniques.
References
- Angina. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Angina/Angina_All.html. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- Angina pectoris. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4472. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- ACC/AHA management of patients with unstable angina/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction — Pocket guideline. American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1194979355638UA-NSTEMI.Text.Final.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- Patient information sheet: Ranolazine. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Cder/drug/InfoSheets/patient/ranolazine.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- L-arginine. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed March 11, 2011.
- Ruel M, et al. Concomitant treatment with oral L-arginine improves the efficacy of surgical angiogenesis in patients with severe diffuse coronary artery disease: The endothelial modulation in angiogenic therapy randomized controlled trial. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2008;135:762.
- L-carnitine. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed March 11, 2011.
- Ferrari R, et al. Therapeutic effects of l-carnitine and propionyl-l-carnitine on cardiovascular diseases: A review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2004;1033:79.
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