Besides unstable angina, there are two other types of angina.

Stable angina is the most common type of angina. It is pain or discomfort, most likely in your chest, when your heart isn't getting enough oxygen. You get this type of angina when you are active, and it goes away when you rest.

It usually happens because the arteries that carry blood to the heart (the

 

 

 

 

 

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 arteries) have become narrow. The narrowing is caused by fatty clumps that have built up inside the artery.

If you get stable angina, taking medication and changing the way you live can help you have fewer and milder attacks. But getting stable angina is also a warning that you could go on to get unstable angina or have a

 

 

 

 

 

heart attack
Doctors call a heart attack an acute myocardial infarction (or acute MI). This is the name for the damage that occurs to the heart muscle if it isn't getting enough blood and oxygen because a branch of the coronoary arteries is blocked. During a heart attack, you may have pain or heaviness over your chest, and pain, numbness or tingling in your jaw and left arm.

 

 

 

 

 

heart attack.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network.
SIGN clinical guideline 96: management of stable angina.
February 2007. Available at http://www.sign.ac.uk/pdf/sign96.pdf (accessed on 16 February 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

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For more, see Angina, stable.

Variant angina isn't very common. You might hear doctors call this type Prinzmetal's angina. It's most likely to happen while you are resting or during the night. You may get bad pain or discomfort. But it goes away if you take angina medication.

Variant angina is caused by a spasm in one of your coronary arteries. The spasm makes the artery get narrower. This means it can't carry as much blood to your heart.

You can get this type of angina even if you don't have narrowing of your arteries from fatty clumps. These attacks can be brought on by cold weather, stress, smoking and certain medications.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Mishra PK.
Variations in presentation and various options in management of variant angina.
European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery. 2006; 29: 748-59.

 

 

 

 

 

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