A Pill a Day

Medications are not a cure for heart disease, but they are one of the tools doctors use to control and manage the disease within days or even hours of diagnosis. Where you are on the spectrum of the disease will determine the amount and frequency of your medication but no matter where you fall, experts agree that the key to better health is to follow the doctor’s orders!

“We start many patients on medications in the hospital so they can get used to taking them,” says Donald LaVan, M.D., cardiologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at the University of Pennslyvania. “But often what we see is that when they get home they get hesitant or concerned. Maybe there is a side effect that they don’t like and they get on Google and search for alternatives and stop taking their medication. By doing this they are shooting themselves in the foot.”

While you may have a preference for alternative treatments, LaVan says the best thing you can do is share your concerns with your doctor before taking any independent action involving your prescriptions. That includes adding anything like vitamins or herbal supplements as well.