The acute treatment of coronary artery disease aims at the restoration of the oxygen demand / supply balance (usually by medical treatment) or at the restoration of myocardial blood flow (usually by revascularisation procedures).

Long-term treatment after myocardial infarction includes

a) secondary prevention of a myocardial reinfarction, mainly by treatment of individual risk factors and achieving optimal myocardial revascularisation

b) prevention of sudden cardiac death and

c) prevention of heart failure.