Read up on Angina, unstable treatment options at Consumer Reports Health.

Angina, unstable

Key points about treatments

Unstable angina is serious. You need to get emergency treatment at the hospital. But if you get treatment quickly, you have a very good chance of not having a heart attack.

The first treatments you are likely to have will:

Source:
Braunwald E, Antman EM, Beasley JW, et al.
ACC/AHA 2002 guideline update for the management of patients with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.
March 2002. Available at http://www.acc.org (accessed on 16 February 2009).

Relieve the pain in your chest
Stop the clot in your

coronary arteries
Coronary arteries are the vessels that supply blood to the heart muscle. If yours are blocked, you may have a pain in your chest (known as angina) or a heart attack because parts of the heart are not getting enough blood and oxygen.

coronary artery from getting any bigger.

Sources for the information on this page:

Braunwald E, Antman EM, Beasley JW, et al.ACC/AHA 2002 guideline update for the management of patients with unstable angina and non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.March 2002. Available at http://www.acc.org (accessed on 16 February 2009).

This information was last updated on May 11, 2009

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2009. All rights reserved.

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