[18] Angina Flashcards
What is angina also known as?
Angina pectoris
What is angina?
Chest pain or pressure, usually due to not enough blood flow reaching the heart muscle
What does angina result from?
The demands of the myocardium not being met by blood supply, which usually implies narrowing of one or more of the coronary arteries
When does angina tend to occur?
At times the heart has to do more work, e.g. exercise or emotional stress
Is angina life threatening?
No
Why is angina clinically important?
It is a warning sign the patient could be at risk of a heart attack or stroke
What are the respiratory causes of chest pain?
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary embolism
- Pneumothorax
What are the GI causes of chest pain?
- GORD
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Biliary colic or cholecystitis
What are the MSK causes of chest pain?
- Fractures or bone metastases to ribs
- Muscular problems of the chest wall
- Skin problems
What are the CVS causes of chest pain?
- Angina
- MI
- Pericarditis
- Aortic dissection
What is angina usually caused by?
Atheroma
What can angina rarely be caused by?
- Anaemia
- Coronary artery spasm
- Aortic stenosis
- Tachyarrhythmia’s
- Arteritis/small vessel disease
What is the leading cause of heart attacks?
Coronary heart disease
What is coronary heart disease?
A condition where the coronary arteries become occluded with cholesterol plaques
What happens when a plaque builds up in the arteries?
It produces a condition called atherosclerosis
What can happen to atherosclerotic plaques over many years?
They can harden or rupture
What effect can harded atheromatous plaques have?
They can narrow the coronary arteries, and cause reduced oxygenated blood flow to the heart, causing ischaemia and resulting in angina or heart attack
What can happen if an atheromatous plaque ruptures?
A blood clot can form on its surface, which might block the coronary arteries and cause ischaemic death of the myocardium
What are the modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease?
- Smoking
- Diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance
- Metabolic syndrome
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidaemia
- Obesity
- Physical inactivity
What are the non-modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease?
- Increasing age
- Being male
- Family history of premature CHD
- Premature menopause
- South Asian ethnic group
What happens in stable angina?
Atheromatous plaques, with a necrotic centre and fibrous cap, build in the coronary vessels, occluding more and more of the lumen and leaving less space for the passage of blood, leading to ischaemia of the myocardium
How much of the lumen must be occluded for angina to occur?
70%
What causes progression of stable angina to unstable angina?
Progression of the atheromatous plaque leading to increased occlusion of the lumen
What are the symptoms of angina?
- Typical ischaemic chest pain
- Breathlessness
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Restlessness
Where might the ischaemic chest pain spread in angina?
- Neck
- Jaw
- Back
- Left arm
What symptoms make a diagnosis of angina less likely?
- Continuous pain
- Pleuritic pain
- Pain that is worse with swallowing
- Pain associated with palpitations
- Dizziness or tingling