Your doctor may tell you to take nitroglycerin a few minutes in advance if you plan to perform an activity that may trigger angina pain.

The best way to prevent angina is to lower your risk for coronary heart disease:

• Control your blood pressure, diabetes, and cholesterol.
• Lose weight if you are overweight.
• Stop smoking
• Avoid or reduce stress as much as you can.
• Eat well-balanced meals that are low in fat and cholesterol and include several daily servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Get regular exercise. If your weight is considered normal, get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day. If you are overweight or obese, experts say you should get 60 - 90 minutes of exercise every day.

Moderate amounts of alcohol (one glass a day for women, two for men) may reduce your risk of cardiovascular problems. However, drinking larger amounts does more harm than good.

Reducing risk factors may prevent the blockages from getting worse, and can make them less severe, which reduces angina pain.