Angina is chest pain due to inadequate blood supply to the heart. Angina symptoms may include chest tightness, burning, squeezing, and aching. Coronary artery disease is the main cause of angina but there are other causes. Angina is diagnosed by taking the patient's medical history and performing tests such as an electrocardiogram (EKG), blood test, stress test, echocardiogram, cardiac CT scan, and heart catheterization. Treatment of angina usually includes lifestyle modification, medication, and sometimes, surgery. The risk of angina can be reduced by following a heart healthy lifestyle.

Lipitor (atorvastatin) is a drug in the statin drug classed prescribed to patients to lower blood cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides, elevate HDL cholesterol, to prevent angina, stroke, heart attack, congestive heart failure, revascularization procedures in heart disease, and prevent heart attacks, and strokes in patients with type 2 diabetes. Side effects of Lipitor include:

• Headache
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Joint pain
• Common cold
• Intestinal gas
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Heartburn

Drug interactions, dosing, and pregnancy and breastfeeding safety should be reviewed prior to taking any medication.

When diet and exercise aren't enough, should you turn to drugs? Learn cholesterol basics, drug classes, and available drugs along with their benefits and side effects.

Drug interactions occur frequently. Get facts about the types of drug interactions, what substances or other things that may interact with drugs such as OTC drug and prescription drugs, vitamins, food(s) (grapefruit), and laboratory tests. Find out how to protect yourself from potential drug interactions.

Important information about your drugs should be reviewed prior to taking any prescription drug. Side effects, drug interactions, warnings and precauctions, dosage, what the drug is used for, what to do if you miss a dose, how the drug is to be stored, and generic vs. brand names.

Heart attack happens when a blood clot completely obstructs a coronary artery supplying blood to the heart muscle. A heart attack can cause chest pain, heart failure, and electrical instability of the heart.

Heart disease and heart attacks can be prevented by leading a healthy lifestyle with diet, exercise, and stress management. Symptoms of heart attack in men and women include chest discomfort and pain in the shoulder, neck, jaw, stomach, or back. Women experience the same symptoms as men; however, they also may experience:

• Extreme fatigue
• Pain in the upper abdomen
• Dizziness
• Fainting

Leading a healthy lifestyle with a heart healthy low-fat diet, and exercise can help prevent heart disease and heart attack.

A heart attack involves damage or death of part of the heart muscle due to a blood clot. The aim of heart attack treatment is to prevent or stop this damage to the heart muscle. Heart attack treatments included medications, procedures, and surgeries to protect the heart muscle against injury.

Heart disease (coronary artery disease) occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries, the vessels that supply blood to the heart. Heart disease can lead to heart attack. Risk factors for heart disease include:

• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Family history
• Obesity

Angina, shortness of breath, and sweating are just a few symptoms that may indicate a heart attack. Treatment of heart disease involves control of heart disease risk factors through lifestyle changes, medications, and/or stenting or bypass surgery. Heart disease can be prevented by controlling heart disease risk factors.

High cholesterol can be a dangerous condition. Take the Cholesterol Quiz to understand what high cholesterol means in terms of your health risks.

Cholesterol occurs naturally in the body. High blood cholesterol levels increase a person's risk of developing heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, TIAs, and more. In addition to medication (fibrates, statins, bile acid sequestrants, and niacin), lifestyle changes can be made to lower blood cholesterol levels

An initial step in detecting liver damage is a simple blood test to determine the presence of certain liver enzymes in the blood. Under normal circumstances, these enzymes reside within the cells of the liver. But when the liver is injured, these enzymes are spilled into the blood stream, and can lead to diseases like fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and hepatitis. Several medications also can increase liver enzyme test results.

Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. High levels of LDL and low levels of HDL cholesterol put a person at risk for heart attack, stroke, transient ischemic attack (TIA or mini stroke), and peripheral artery disease. High cholesterol can be lowered by eating foods that lower cholesterol, for example:

• Eat more high soluble fiber foods (oatmeal, oat bran, vegetables, and certain fruits)
• Use olive oil
• Eat foods fortified with plant sterols and stanols
• Soy
• Nuts
• Omega-3 fatty acids

Foods that raise LDL or bad cholesterol include:

• Foods high in saturated and trans fats
• Fatty meats
• Limit egg yolks
• Limit milk products
• Limit crackers, muffins, and snacks
• Avoid unhealthy fast foods that are high in fat and sugar

High cholesterol treatment includes lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), and medications such as statins, bile acid resins, and fibric acid derivatives.

Rhabdomyolysis is a rapid deterioration and destruction of skeletal muscle. Some of the causes of rhabdomyolysis include:

• severe burns,
• muscle trauma,
• coma,
• seizures,
• electrolyte imbalance,
• medications (statins),
• viruses, and
• bacteria.

Treatment of rhabdomyolysis depends on the cause.

Zocor (simvastatin) belongs to the drug class of statins and is prescribed for lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Side effects, drug interactions, warnings and precautions, and patient safety information should be reviewed prior to taking any medication.

Statins is a class of drugs prescribed to lower blood cholesterol. Statins also are prescribed for preventing and treating atherosclerosis. Common side effects of statins are

• headache
• nausea,
• vomiting,
• constipation, and
• diarrhea.

Serious side effects can occur.

Examples of statins available in the US are

• atorvastatin (Lipitor),
• fluvastatin (Lescol, Lescol XL),
• lovastatin (Mevacor, Altoprev),
• pravastatin (Pravachol),
• rosuvastatin (Crestor),
• simvastatin (Zocor), and
• pitavastatin (Livalo).

Drug interactions, dosing, storage, and pregnancy safety should be reviewed prior to taking this medication.

Triglycerides are a common form of fat that we digest. Triglycerides are the main ingredient in animal fats and vegetable oils. Elevated levels of triglycerides are a risk factor for heart disease, heart attack, stroke, fatty liver disease, and pancreatitis. Elevated levels of triglycerides are also associated with diseases like diabetes, kidney disease, and medications (for example, diuretics, birth control pills, and beta blockers). Dietary changes, and medication if necessary can help lower triglyceride blood levels.