Heart medicines

British Heart Foundation

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Understanding your heart medicines

Heart medicines can help you to manage your condition, symptoms and protect your long-term health.

The type of medicine you are given will depend on your condition, and you might need to take more than one.

Understanding what each medicine does can help you to feel more in control of your treatment.

This page is a guide to some of the most common medicines prescribed for heart health.

Medicines for high blood pressure

ACE inhibitors

Angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs)

Beta blockers

Calcium channel blockers

Diuretics

Medicines for high cholesterol

Statins

PCSK9 inhibitors

Ezetimibe

Bempedoic acid

Inclisiran

Medicines for chest pain (angina)

Nitrates

, like GTN spray and tablets

Beta blockers

Medicines for heart failure

ACE inhibitors

Angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs)

Aldosterone blockers (MRAs)

Sacubitril valsartan (Entresto)

Beta blockers

SGLT2 inhibitors

Diuretics

Your guide to heart failure
Your guide to heart failure

Medicines to stop blood clots forming

Anticoagulants

Warfarin

Aspirin

Antiplatelets

, like

clopidogrel

Medicines for heart rhythm problems (arrhythmias)

Anti-arrhythmics

Beta blockers

Calcium channel blockers

Digoxin

Other medicines

GLP-1 medicines

, like Wegovy or Mounjaro

A clock surrounded by medicine tablets.
A clock surrounded by medicine tablets.

Side effects and support

All medicines can cause side effects. Many people have no side effects, however for some people they can have a big impact on their daily life.

If you’re struggling with side effects or have questions about your medicine, speak to your doctor, nurse or a pharmacist. It's important not to stop taking your medicine without talking to a healthcare professional first.

For support you can also speak to:

our cardiac nurses by calling our

Heart Helpline

other people going through a similar experience in our

online community

.

Woman sat on the edge of a large white tablet staring into the water
Woman sat on the edge of a large white tablet staring into the water

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