On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Women
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Angina is chest pain or discomfort you feel when there is not enough blood flow to your heart muscle. Your heart muscle needs the oxygen that the blood carries. Angina may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back.

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD happens when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow.

There are three types of angina:

• Stable angina is the most common type. It happens when the heart is working harder than usual. Stable angina has a regular pattern. Rest and medicines usually help.
• Unstable angina is the most dangerous. It does not follow a pattern and can happen without physical exertion. It does not go away with rest or medicine. It is a sign that you could have a heart attack soon.
• Variant angina is rare. It happens when you are resting. Medicines can help.

Not all chest pain or discomfort is angina. If you have chest pain, you should see your health care provider.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Angina (American Academy of Family Physicians)
• Angina (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Angina (Chest Pain) (American Heart Association)
• Stable Angina (American Heart Association)
• What Is Angina? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Chest Pain (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Heart Health Tests: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Radionuclide Ventriculography or Radionuclide Angiography (MUGA Scan) (American Heart Association)
• Troponin Test (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Treatments and Therapies

• Angina Treatment: Stents, Drugs, Lifestyle Changes -- What's Best? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Calcium Channel Blockers (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Nitrates (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish
• Transmyocardial Laser Revascularization (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Acute Coronary Syndrome (American Heart Association)
• Coronary Artery Spasm: Cause for Concern? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Microvascular Angina (American Heart Association)
• Prinzmetal's or Prinzmetal Angina, Variant Angina, and Angina Inversa (American Heart Association)
• Unstable Angina (American Heart Association)

Statistics and Research

• Heart and Stroke Statistics (American Heart Association)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Angina Pectoris (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Microvascular Angina (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Quantitative structure property relationship and multiattribute decision analysis of antianginal drugs...
• Article: Machine learning-based predictive modeling of angina pectoris in an elderly community-dwelling...
• Article: The efficacy and safety of coronary sinus reducer in refractory angina:...
• Angina -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Heart Information Center (Texas Heart Institute) Also in Spanish

Find an Expert

• American Heart Association
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Women

• Angina in Women Can Be Different than Men (American Heart Association)

Patient Handouts

• Angina - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Angina - when you have chest pain (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Coronary angiography (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Electrocardiogram (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Living with heart disease and angina (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Stable angina (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Unstable angina (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish