Types of Angina
10
June
2021
Give Your Heart a Break: Four Types of Angina
In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 40 seconds. This shocking statistic comes with many warning signs and preventable measures. A common condition that's a possible precursor to a heart attack is known as Angina.
What exactly is angina? Well, it's chest pain or an uncomfortable feeling that's symptoms are often described as pressure, squeezing or burning in the chest area. Angina is caused by the reduction of blood flow to the heart and is a symptom of coronary artery disease as well as a warning sign of a heart attack. There are four main types of angina: microvascular, variant, stable and unstable.
Microvascular Angina
This form of angina affects the heart's smallest arteries and causes chest pain. Microvascular can lead to heart attacks due to its inability to be caught in time. The condition tends to evade attention on traditional heart scans and is linked to serious health outcomes. Like many health conditions, microvascular is more common in women than men. It's felt during times of physical exertion, mental and emotional stress, and even at rest.
Episodes of microvascular angina last longer than most coronary diseases and tend to not respond well to standard treatments. Having an anxiety/panic attack feels similar to a microvascular angina episode and the two are often misconstrued for each other. Usually, microvascular is considered a stable angina condition but when women who seem to have normal, healthy hearts suffer from a heart attack, it's usually the culprit.
Variant (Prinzmetal) Angina
The previous form of angina discussed often occurred when the victim was experiencing emotional stress or physical assertion. Variant angina almost always occurs when the person is resting and usually in early morning hours. Weird, right? This form of angina is rare and only represents 2% of cases, mostly occurring in younger patients who also have another form of angina.
Like the other three forms, variant angina is extremely painful. It's caused by a spasm in the coronary arteries and is a result of stress, drug use, extremely cold weather and even medications that tighten blood vessels. Although rare, variant angina should be taken seriously due to its ability to lead to sudden death. Thankfully, it can be treated quite effectively by calcium channel blockers if diagnosed in a timely manner.
Stable Angina
This form of angina is very similar to microvascular. It's the most common form and occurs when you overexert your body and tends to go away with rest and hydration. When the oxygen supply your heart needs isn't met, that's when a person begins to feel the symptoms of stable angina. Stress, very hot or cold weather, and smoking are all stable angina episode triggers. Although this form of angina doesn't directly lead to heart attacks, people who are diagnosed with any form of angina have a better chance of experiencing a heart attack in comparison to those who don't have angina.
Unstable Angina
It may be less common than stable angina, but unstable angina is much more dangerous. While also being referred to as acute coronary syndrome, unstable angina causes unexpected chest pain while resting. The dangerous aspect of unstable angina comes from the coronary artery disease plaque rupturing which leads to a blood clot. Our bodies natural response to a wound on our skin is to create a scab over it. With an internal rupture, our body tries to form a blood clot to stop the bleeding. Well, a blood clot forming in this scenario can lead to a complete block in blood flow to the heart.
There's no trigger for unstable angina. It's symptoms are similar to stable angina except they worsen over time instead of going away by resting or use of medication. This form of angina can directly lead to a heart attack and is a serious medical emergency.
Cardiovascular health is very important to maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. Hill Regional Hospital focuses on the functions and disorders of the heart and its connected circulatory system. Our providers recognize the importance of a good heart and provide complete heart care services. Don't wait until it's too late. Give your heart a break and prioritize maintaining a healthy heart.
For more information, check out the links below!
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/angina/symptoms-causes/syc-20369373
https://www.healthgrades.com/right-care/heart-health/types-of-angina