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Manage coronary artery disease. Protect your heart.
Whether you’ve had a stent, bypass surgery, or a new diagnosis, the right medications and lifestyle steps meaningfully lower your risk of another event.
What do you need right now?
Antiplatelet medication after a stent is not optional
Stopping DAPT (dual antiplatelet therapy) early — even for a dental visit or minor procedure — can cause the stent to clot. Always check with your cardiologist before stopping any heart medication for any reason.
Time to check in about your heart health?
4 quick questions. Nothing here is saved or stored — this stays in your browser.
1. New or worsening chest discomfort, pressure, or pain, especially with activity?
2. New shortness of breath with activity that you didn’t have before?
3. Missed a heart medication dose more than once in the last month?
4. Unsure what your target cholesterol or blood pressure numbers should be?
This is a general check-in, not a personal determination or diagnosis. If you have chest pain that’s severe, spreading to your arm or jaw, or comes with sweating or nausea, call 911.
Medication options
For context, not a recommendation — your cardiologist will help choose what fits your situation.
| Medication class | What it does | When it’s used |
|---|---|---|
| Antiplatelets (DAPT) | Two drugs together that keep platelets from clumping; prevent stent clotting | Critical after stenting, typically 6–12 months for drug-eluting stents; aspirin alone often continues lifelong |
| Statins | Lower cholesterol; also stabilize plaques in arteries | Almost everyone after a heart event, often lifelong |
| Beta blockers | Slow heart rate, reduce workload, prevent rhythm problems | Most people after a heart attack, especially with reduced heart function |
| ACE inhibitors / ARBs | Reduce blood pressure, protect the heart | Especially when blood pressure is high or heart function is reduced |
| Nitrates | Relax blood vessels, treat chest pain | Sublingual for sudden symptoms; long-acting for chronic angina |
| PCSK9 inhibitors | Powerful cholesterol-lowering injectables | When statins alone aren’t enough; often after a heart event |
The information here describes how a class of medications generally works and what to discuss with your provider or pharmacist. It is not a prescription, a recommendation of a specific drug or dose, or instructions to start, stop, or change any medication. Decisions about medications belong to you and your prescribing clinician.
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