Coronary artery disease is a condition marked by plaque building up on the walls of the arteries, causing a deficiency of oxygen-rich blood to areas of the heart. Plaque is a fatty substance that appears when cholesterol levels are too high. Angina, or "angina pectoris" as it is also called, is not a condition by itself. It is a side effect of a heart problem such as coronary artery disease.
Significance
Men and women are equally susceptible to suffer from angina. According to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, nearly 7 million people in the United States suffer from angina and there are approximately 400,000 new cases reported each year.
Symptoms
Symptoms of angina can vary in severity. Chest pain is one of the most common of these. Pain can also be seen in your arms, back, jaw and shoulders. Shortness of breath, anxiety, nausea, sweating and dizziness are also signs of angina. Sufferers often describe the symptoms as a a vise squeezing their chests.
Types
There are three main types of angina. Stable angina occurs when you exert yourself through physical activity and it can be relieved with rest. Unstable angina can occur with or without exertion and it cannot be relieved with medication or rest. This type of angina is often a precursor to a heart attack. Variant angina is the most rare form. It can be very severe and it can occur when you are at rest. Medication can be used to treat this type.
Treatments
The main goals for treating angina are to prevent a heart attack from taking place and to reduce the severity of the symptoms that are present. Lifestyle changes are one of the first lines of defense. Avoiding large meals, quitting smoking, losing weight and following a diet that is low in fat and high in fiber are all examples of this. Medications can also be taken such as aspirin, beta blockers, statins and calcium channel blockers if angina is more severe. In the worst of cases, the arteries in the heart might need to be opened up by a surgical procedure such as angioplasty and stenting. Coronary bypass surgery can also be performed in which a blood vessel from another part of the body is implanted around a blockage to allow blood to flow smoothly.
Considerations
According to the Mayo Clinic, there are two dietary supplements that can be used to help reduce angina. They are L-carnitine and L-arginine. They can help reduce the swelling in the arteries that causes chest pain to develop. If you choose to use these, make sure to talk to your doctor fist, as they can interact with other medications.
