Conditions & Diseases: Cardiovascular System

Angina

See Also:
Angina: Introduction & Overview
Angina: Types
Angina: Causes & Risk Factors
Angina: Signs & Symptoms
Angina: Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Angina: Treatment & Prevention Options

Introduction

Angina or Angina Pectoris is a squeezing pain with pressure, heaviness and tightness being felt across the chest particularly behind the breastbone. Angina is actually a symptom of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) namely Myocardial Ischemia (meaning insufficient supply of blood to the myocardial (heart) muscle) with the pain radiating to the neck, jaw, arms, back or even teeth. Other related symptoms include indigestion, heartburn, weakness, sweating, nausea, cramping and shortness of breath.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) occurs due to accumulation of plaque (A sticky fatty material) on the inner walls of the arteries (This process of accumulation of plaque is called Atherosclerosis) that carry oxygen rich blood to the muscles of heart (myocardial muscles). Atherosclerosis leads to narrowing and stiffening of arteries leading to reduced supply of oxygen rich blood to muscles of heart causing heart attack (1), (2), (3) & (4).

About 7 million people suffer from angina in the US with 350,000 new cases of angina being registered every year. About 1.1 million new and recurrent cases of acute coronary event occur in the US with more than 40% being fatal (1) & (4).

See Also:
Angina: Introduction & Overview
Angina: Types
Angina: Causes & Risk Factors
Angina: Signs & Symptoms
Angina: Medical Tests & Diagnosis Methods
Angina: Treatment & Prevention Options

Article by Kona Vishnu, MS
Medical Writer,
OmniMedicalSearch.com