Angina, stable - What you can do to help yourself

Angina, stable

What you can do to help yourself

If you get angina, your doctor will talk with you about things you can do to make your health better and to stop your angina and

heart disease
You get heart disease when your heart isn't able to pump blood as well as it should. This can happen for a variety of reasons.

heart disease from getting worse.

Here's a list of some things your doctor might suggest.

Source:
American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.
2007 chronic angina focused update of the ACC/AHA 2002 guidelines for the management of patients with chronic stable angina.
December 2007. Available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.187930 (accessed on 20 October 2009).

Source:
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.
Management of stable angina.
February 2007. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network clinical guideline 96. Available at http://www.sign.ac.uk (accessed on 26 October 2009).

Source:
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
What is angina?
November 2007. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci (accessed on 20 October 2009).

Stop smoking. If you smoke, now is the time to stop. The more you smoke, the greater your risk of dying from heart disease. For more about quitting, see Smoking (Nicotine addiction).
Lose weight. If you are obese or overweight, try to lose weight. It might help to see a dietitian. For more, see Obesity.
Eat a healthy diet. You should eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, eat at least one serving of oily fish (such as salmon) every week, and cut back on how much fat and sugar you eat.
Exercise. Talk with your doctor about what kind of exercise and how much is safe for you. Experts say most people should aim for 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, at least five days a week.
Limit how much alcohol you drink. For details, talk with your doctor.
Ask about a self-help angina plan. This is a plan based on a workbook and a relaxation tape. If you just found out that you have angina, this plan can help you feel better and have less anxiety and depression. A nurse helps you change the way you live and advises you about medication. Ask your doctor about this kind of plan.

Source:
Lewin RJP, Furze G, Robinson J, et al.
A randomised controlled trial of a self-management plan for patients with newly diagnosed angina.
British Journal of General Practice. 2002; 52: 194-201.

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Sources for the information on this page:

American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association.2007 chronic angina focused update of the ACC/AHA 2002 guidelines for the management of patients with chronic stable angina.December 2007. Available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/reprint/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.187930 (accessed on 20 October 2009).

Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.Management of stable angina.February 2007. Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network clinical guideline 96. Available at http://www.sign.ac.uk (accessed on 26 October 2009).

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.What is angina?November 2007. Available at http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci (accessed on 20 October 2009).

Lewin RJP, Furze G, Robinson J, et al.A randomised controlled trial of a self-management plan for patients with newly diagnosed angina.British Journal of General Practice. 2002; 52: 194-201.

This information was last updated on Nov 09, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
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