Angina Flashcards
What is Angina?
Acute/chronic ischaemic heart disease characterised by transient chest pain due to decreased blood flow to the heart as a result of an imbalance of myocardial supply and demand
What is the underlying pathology of SCAD?
Reversible mismatch between myocardial supply and demand leading to reduced blood flow to the heart.
What are the two clinical subtypes?
- Angina with obstructive CAD
- Angina without obstructive CAD
Describe Angina with obstructive CAD.
- Partial obstruction of coronary artery by atherosclerotic plaque
- Chest pain on exertion
- ST-segment depression
E.g. Classic/Stable Angina
Describe Angina without obstructive CAD.
- At rest/at night and during exercise
- Focal or diffuse spontaneous coronary artery spasm.
- ST-segment elevation
E.g. Variant/ microvascular
Describe the CCS classification of Angina.
Class I - doesn’t cause angina
Class II - slight limitation
Class III - marked limitation
Class IV - unable to carry out physical activities and angina present at rest
Describe subendocardial ischemia.
- Only penetrates through 1st layer to the heart muscle
- Causes ST segment depression.
- The natural flow of current is to flow towards the septum, in this case the current is going opposite direction - causing an ST segment depression.
Describe Transmural ischemia.
- Penetrates completely through the heart muscle
- Causes ST segment elevation due to the fact that the current is moving towards the septum.
- The normal flow of the current is to flow towards the septum, in transmural ischemia this current is added on.
What are the symptoms of Angina?
Breathlessness, dizziness, chest pain that eases at rest, clammy/cold, nausea/vomiting, radiation to neck ,upper arms/ lower jaw
List and describe the pathology of the clinical features on SCAD.
Breathlessness and dizziness due to ischaemia induced LV dysfunction
Metabolic lactate production due to anaerobic metabolism
ECG - ST-segment depression or elevation
What is Classic angina?
- Partial obstruction of coronary artery by atherosclerotic plaque
- Increase myocardial demand
- Cheat pain on execration
- segment depression
What is Variant angina?
- Spontaneous, transient coronary artery spasm due to increase vasoconstriction
- Decreased myocardial supply
- Chest pain during sleep and rest
- ST-segment elevation
What is microvascular angina (unstable)?
- Primary structural/functional dysfunction to small coronary blood vessels.
- Decreased myocardial supply
- Chest pain at at rest and during exercise
- ST-segment depression
What are the triggers of angina?
- exercise/stress
- heavy meals
- exposure to cold
If a patient has angina what are some lifestyle changes would you recommend?
- Increase physical activity min 30mins a day
- Lose weight if needed
- Smoking cessation
- Alcohol moderation
- Healthy diet - low salts and fats