Heart Disease: Living with Heart Disease

Coronary artery disease is a chronic disease with no cure. When you have coronary artery disease, it is important to take good care of your heart for the rest of your life. This is especially true if you have had an interventional procedure or surgery to improve blood flow to the heart. Procedures do not cure coronary artery disease. It is up to you to take steps to stop the disease from progressing.

Here are some steps you can take to make living with heart disease easier:

• Recognize the symptoms. Call your doctor if symptoms become more frequent or severe. Call for emergency assistance if rest and/or medications do not relieve symptoms after 15 minutes. DO NOT WAIT TO GET HELP!
• Reduce your risk factors. The more risk factors you have, the greater your risk for future heart problems.
• Take your medications. Your medications are used to control your symptoms and help your heart work more efficiently. Follow your doctor's instructions when you take your medications.
• See your doctor for regular check-ups. Schedule regular appointments with your primary doctor and/or your heart doctor (even if you have no symptoms). Your appointments may be spaced once a year or more often if your doctor feels you need to be followed more closely.

How Can I Reduce My Risk Factors?

Making the necessary lifestyle changes is not easy. It takes dedication and discipline to quit smoking, eat right, and master techniques to ease stress. The following tips may help get you started. But, it's a good idea to seek help from dieticians, doctors and support groups to keep you on track.

Regardless of the lifestyle change you are trying to make:

• Have a plan before starting.
• Create realistic goals for yourself.
• Master one change at a time (for example, quit smoking before changing your diet).
• Write a formal or informal contract to strengthen your commitment to make the necessary lifestyle changes.
• Prepare for lapses and relapses. Don't be too hard on yourself when this happens.
• Be sure to reward yourself when you do well (this doesn't mean treating yourself to a hamburger and fries).
• Make sure you have plenty of support from your friends and family. Seek the help of support groups. Also, talk to your doctor about participating in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

Reviewed by the doctors at The Cleveland Clinic Heart Center.