Angina I: Introduction

Angina, or angina pectoris, is chest pain or discomfort caused by myocardial ischemia, when the heart muscle receives insufficient oxygen-rich blood. It typically feels like pressing, squeezing, or crushing sensations in the chest and may radiate to the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back.

The primary cause of angina is atherosclerosis, where plaque buildup narrows the coronary arteries, reducing oxygen-rich blood flow to the heart muscle. Contributing factors include coronary artery spasms, microvascular disease, and conditions that increase myocardial oxygen demand, such as left ventricular hypertrophy or tachycardia.

Angina results from an imbalance between the heart muscle's oxygen supply and demand. During increased physical activity or stress, the heart's demand for oxygen surpasses the restricted supply due to narrowed coronary arteries, leading to ischemia and anginal pain. This oxygen deficit triggers chest discomfort.

Physical activity such as walking, running, or climbing stairs increases the heart's workload and oxygen demand. Emotional stress can also increase heart rate and blood pressure, raising oxygen demand. Narrowed coronary arteries cannot deliver sufficient oxygen-rich blood to meet these increased demands, triggering angina.

Risk factors include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, smoking, diabetes, obesity, stress, physical inactivity, poor diet, increasing age, and family history of coronary artery disease. These factors contribute to atherosclerosis and narrowing of coronary arteries, significantly increasing the risk of developing angina symptoms.

In a healthy state, coronary arteries can dilate to increase blood flow and meet increased oxygen demand during physical activity or stress. In coronary artery disease, narrowed coronary arteries limit the ability to increase blood flow during increased oxygen demand, leading to ischemia and angina.

Microvascular disease affects small blood vessels in the heart, reducing blood flow and causing angina. Coronary artery spasms cause sudden, temporary narrowing of coronary arteries, also reducing blood flow and oxygen delivery. Both conditions contribute to myocardial ischemia and anginal symptoms in susceptible patients.