Cause What is Angina Pectoris?

Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is severe chest pain due to ischemia (a lack of blood, thus a lack of oxygen supply) of the heart muscle, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary arteries (the heart's blood vessels. Major risk factors

Pathophysiology

Signs and symptoms

Most patients with angina complain of chest discomfort rather than actual pain: the discomfort is usually described as a pressure, heaviness, tightness, and squeezing, Other medical problems burning, or choking sensation. Apart from chest discomfort, anginal pains may also be experienced in the epigastrium profound anemia (upper central abdomen), back, neck area, jaw, or shoulders. uncontrolled HTN This is explained by the concept of referred pain, and is due to hyperthyroidism the spinal level that receives visceral sensation from the heart hypoxemia simultaneously receiving cutaneous sensation from parts of the skin specified by that spinal nerve's dermatome, without Other cardiac problems an ability to discriminate the two. Typical locations for referred pain are arms (often inner left arm), shoulders, and tachyarrhythmia neck into the jaw. Angina is typically precipitated by exertion bradyarrhythmia or emotional stress. It is exacerbated by having a full stomach valvular heart disease and by cold temperatures. Pain may be accompanied by breathlessness, sweating and nausea in some cases. In this hypertrophic cardiomyopathy case, the pulse rate and the blood pressure increase. Chest pain lasting only a few seconds is normally not angina.

Age ( 55 years for men, 65 for women) Cigarette smoking Diabetes mellitus (DM) Dyslipidemia Family History of premature Cardiovascular Disease (men <55 years, female <65 years old) Hypertension (HTN) Kidney disease (microalbuminuria or GFR<60 mL/min) Obesity (BMI 30 kg/m2) Physical inactivity

Angina results when there is an imbalance between the heart's oxygen demand and supply. This imbalance can result from an increase in demand (e.g. during exercise) without a proportional increase in supply (e.g. due to obstruction or atherosclerosis of the coronary arteries).

Diagnosis
Suspect angina in people presenting with tight, dull, or heavy chest discomfort which is: 1. Retrosternal or left-sided, radiating to the left arm, neck, jaw, or back. 2. Associated with exertion or emotional stress and relieved within several minutes by rest. 3. Precipitated by cold weather or a meal.

Treatment
The most specific medicine to treat angina is

nitroglycerin. - It is a potent vasodilator that makes more oxygen available to

the heart muscle. Beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers act to decrease the heart's workload, and thus its requirement for oxygen. Nitroglycerin should not be given if certain inhibitors such as Viagra, Cialis, or Levitra have been taken by the casualty within the previous 12 hours as the combination of the two could cause a serious drop in blood pressure.

Prevention
Angina is a result of reduced blood flow to the coronary arteries. The causes of this condition are only partly known. What is known is that certain things should be avoided to prevent angina or help reduce its incidence: High-fat diets: eating high-fat foods causes atherosclerosis, which gradually lessens blood circulation through the arteries. Smoke, both active and secondary: nicotine narrows artery linings and inhaled monoxide hampers oxygen circulation through the body. Hypertension: high blood pressure is a further cause of atherosclerosis and cardiac stress. Stress: coronary spasms relate to recurrent stressful situations or to psychological disorders such as depression Being overweight. Lack of exercise. Alcohol intake (no more than 3 glasses of wine a day for women and 4 for men)

Submitted to:
Mrs. Ma. Lovelyn Mananquil R.N

Adding salt with meals increases blood pressure. Too much or too sudden physical exercise, especially if it involves the upper trunk (as for example, shovelling snow). Temperature extremes are an increased burden on the heart.

Submitted by:
Ma. Victoria Cabuslay S.N