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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

Angina is a type of chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart muscle. Angina (an-JIE-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.

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.

Symptoms
References
  1. Angina. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/angina/. Accessed May 18, 2013.
  2. Papadakis MA, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment 2013. 52nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2013. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=1. Accessed May 18, 2013.
  3. Stock EO, et al. Cardiovascular disease in women. Current Problems in Cardiology. 2012;37:450-526.
  4. Angina in Women Can Be Different Than Men. American Heart Association. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Angina-in-Women-Can-Be-Different-Than-Men_UCM_448902_Article.jsp. Accessed May 18, 2013.
  5. Kannam JP, et al. Overview of the care of patients with stable ischemic heart disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 18, 2013.
  6. Meisel JL, et al. Differential diagnosis of chest pain in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 18, 2013.
  7. Jneid H, et al. 2012 ACCF/AHA focused update of the guideline for the management of patients with unstable angina/Non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (updating the 2007 guideline and replacing the 2011 focused update): A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on practice guidelines. Circulation. 2012;126:875.
DS00994 July 12, 2013

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