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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffAngina is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. Angina (an-JI-nuh or AN-juh-nuh) is a symptom of coronary artery disease. Angina is typically described as squeezing, pressure, heaviness, tightness or pain in your chest. Many people with angina say it feels like someone is standing on their chest.
Angina, also called angina pectoris, can be a recurring problem or a sudden, acute health concern.
Angina is relatively common, but can be hard to distinguish from other types of chest pain, such as the pain or discomfort of indigestion. If you have unexplained chest pain, seek medical attention right away.
- Angina. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Angina/Angina_All.html. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- Angina pectoris. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4472. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- ACC/AHA management of patients with unstable angina/non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction — Pocket guideline. American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/downloadable/heart/1194979355638UA-NSTEMI.Text.Final.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- Patient information sheet: Ranolazine. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/Cder/drug/InfoSheets/patient/ranolazine.pdf. Accessed March 14, 2011.
- L-arginine. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed March 11, 2011.
- Ruel M, et al. Concomitant treatment with oral L-arginine improves the efficacy of surgical angiogenesis in patients with severe diffuse coronary artery disease: The endothelial modulation in angiogenic therapy randomized controlled trial. Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. 2008;135:762.
- L-carnitine. Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database. http://www.naturaldatabase.com. Accessed March 11, 2011.
- Ferrari R, et al. Therapeutic effects of l-carnitine and propionyl-l-carnitine on cardiovascular diseases: A review. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2004;1033:79.
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