Types of Angina

Stable Angina

Stable angina is a pain or discomfort in your chest or in areas next to your chest, caused by not enough blood flow to the heart muscle. This chest pain is relieved by rest or medication within a short period of time (usually 15 minutes).

A person with stable angina usually knows what activities will trigger their chest pain. Stable angina is often triggered by exercise or physical work. It may be triggered by extreme temperatures, heavy meals, or getting upset.

Unstable Angina

Unstable angina is chest discomfort that is not expected and may occur at rest. Unstable angina can be previous diagnosed angina that has become more frequent, may be more painful, and last longer than the pain of stable angina. Some people get unstable angina without ever having stable angina. Stable angina that changes to unstable angina may mean that your heart is getting worse. Unstable angina is serious. If you have an angina attack that is worse or different than usual, you need to be seen in an emergency department right away.

Prinzmental's or Variant Angina

This type of angina is caused by a spasm of a coronary artery.

Microvascular Angina

This is angina that occurs without narrowing, blockage, or spasms of the coronary arteries. A problem with tiny blood vessels that supply the heart is thought to cause this kind of angina.

Atypical Angina

Women and people who have diabetes may not have typical chest pain when they have a heart problem. The discomfort may be in an unusual place or a person may have symptoms like shortness of breath or nausea as their only sign of a problem.

Risk Factors

Certain things can increase your chance of having athersclerosis, angina and other heart problems. Some of these factors can be controlled. Some things you cannot help.

The following are factors that increase your risk:

  • A family history of heart problems
  • Aterhosclerosis in other areas of the body. For example, you may have poor circulation (blood flow) in your legs, or carotid (neck) artery disease. You may have had a stroke in the past.
  • Being overweight
  • Being a female who smokes and takes birth control pills
  • Being a female who has gone through the "change of life" (menopause)
  • Cocaine/Crack use
  • Diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol (koh-LES-ter-ol)
  • Lack of exercise
  • Being male
  • Being over 55 years of age
  • Stress
  • Smoking now or in the past, or being exposed to second hand cigarette smoke on a regular basis