What’s this
pain in my
ANGINA
A LOT OF THINGS
can cause
chest pain—acid reflux, an infection
and inflammation, to name just a
few. But of all the possible causes,
chest pain linked to underlying heart
disease can be especially dangerous.
That type of pain, called angina,
happens when part of the heart
muscle fails to get the oxygen-rich
blood that it needs.
According to the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute, angina
is usually a symptom of coronary
artery disease (CAD), the most com-
mon type of heart disease.
CAD occurs when the inner walls
of arteries that nourish the heart
muscle become narrowed or blocked
by a fatty material known as plaque.
This can cause angina and can lead
to a heart attack.
Who’s at risk?
People at risk for CAD are also at risk
for angina. Risk factors include:
➜
Having unhealthy cholesterol
levels.
➜
Having high blood pres-
sure.
➜
Smoking.
➜
Having insulin
resistance or diabetes.
➜
Being over-
weight or obese.
➜
Not exercising.
➜
Being older. For men, the risk goes
up after age 45, and for women, after
age 55.
What are the symptoms?
Typically, people with angina feel
pain or an uncomfortable pressure,
fullness or squeezing sensation in
the center of the chest. They may also
have discomfort in the neck, jaw,
shoulder, back or arm.
Other symptoms may include
shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue,
sweating, or numbness or tingling in
the shoulders, arms or wrists.
The most common type of angina
(
stable angina) happens when the
heart muscle is working harder than
usual, like during physical exertion
or emotional stress.
People with stable angina fre-
quently learn to recognize its pat-
tern and can predict when their pain
will occur. The pain usually lasts five
minutes or less and is relieved by rest
or medication.
The most serious type of angina
is unstable angina. It often occurs
while at rest and without physical
activity. The pain may last as long as
30
minutes. Usually, neither medi-
cine nor rest relieves it.
Having unstable angina may be a
sign that a heart attack is about to
happen, and it should be treated as a
medical emergency.
Is the pain angina?
To learn if a person’s chest pain is
caused by angina, a doctor will do
a physical exam and ask about risk
factors and medical history. He or
she may also order tests, such as:
Blood tests.
The results can show
the levels of cholesterol, sugar, pro-
teins and certain fats in the blood.
When any or all of these levels are
off, it may indicate CAD.
Electrocardiogram (EKG).
This
test measures how fast and regularly
the heart beats. Certain EKG pat-
terns can point to CAD.
Stress test.
This is an EKG done
while the heart is working hard,
such as when you walk or run on a
treadmill.
Coronary angiography.
For this
test, a long, flexible tube is threaded
into the heart’s arteries. Dye is re-
leased, and special x-rays are taken to
Mercy’s heart attack care recognized by national organization
Mercy Iowa City has
received the ACTION
Registry – Get with
the Guidelines
(
GWTG) Platinum
Performance
Achievement Award
from the National
Cardiovascular Data
Registry.
This award recog-
nizes participating
hospitals that have adhered to clinical
guidelines at a rate of 90 percent or
better for eight consecutive quarters,
ending with the fourth quarter of 2011.
It involves achieving quality benchmarks
for acute myocardial infarction (heart
attack) intervention and hospital care.
“
This is a major achievement and it
involves the hard work of many indi-
viduals,” says Linda Lee, MD, Medical
Director of Cardiology Services.
The ACTION Registry – GWTG is
a quality improvement program that
focuses exclusively on high-risk heart
attack patients. It provides guidelines
based on medical evidence to assist
member hospitals in:
✓
Reducing complications
✓
Identifying areas of excellence
✓
Documenting the results
For more information about
Mercy’s heart and vascular services,
visit
www.mercyiowacity.org
/
heart-vascular-services
.
Linda Lee, MD,
Medical Director
of Cardiology
Services
For more about CAD and angina, visit
www.morehealth.org/angina
.
2
www.mercyiowacity.org