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Managing a Chronic Condition
Coronary Artery Disease is a chronic
condition. Interventional treatments like angioplasty can
open the blockages caused by plaque buildup in your arteries,
increasing blood flow and relieving symptoms such as angina.
Medications you may be prescribed can help lower cholesterol,
blood pressure or other risk factors and reduce the likelihood
of future blockages. But the disease cannot be “cured”.
Individuals with coronary artery disease are vulnerable to
plaque buildup in arteries leading to the heart and often
in other parts of the body as well.
The fact is, most Americans will have two
or more chronic conditions during their lifetime. The good
news is that medicine has learned that it is possible to live
a healthy life with a chronic disease, to manage your condition,
sometimes reverse its effects and often become healthier, stronger
and feel better than before your condition was diagnosed.
You can choose simply to live with CAD --
take your medication, maybe watch your diet a bit. Or, you
can choose to manage your health positively. “Positively
managing” means seeking out information about treatments
and health maintenance. It means taking action on your own
behalf to maximize your well-being.
We hope you will make a commitment to taking
charge of your heart health. We are committed to providing
you with tools, information and support to aid you in your
efforts.
Active disease management is a process. There
are several steps you can take, beginning with learning the
facts about your condition. The second step is to make a plan
to take actions that will improve your health. A third is learning
the skills to manage your condition. (These skills might include
learning how to monitor your medication, improve your diet,
stick with an exercise program, employ stress reduction techniques,
and improve communication skills.)
In future articles we will be providing you
with information to help with each of the three steps toward
managing your disease.
Managing Coronary Artery Disease: Taking
Action
1) Learn about CAD
2) Make a Plan for Change
3) Acquire Self-Management Skills
To begin thinking about
your own heart disease risk factors, take a look at these health
tools from the American Heart Association. |
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For an inspiring example
of “Life after Angioplasty”, visit the Marathon
Runners Discussion Thread on Angioplasty.org |
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