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Stable angina is the most common type of angina. But there are two other types.¹ Here's a brief description of each type.

Unstable angina is chest discomfort or pain that you get without much activity or that happens a lot. It can also last longer, sometimes as long as half an hour, before it goes away.

Stable angina can lead to unstable angina. But you can get unstable angina even if you haven't ever had stable angina.

Unlike stable angina, unstable angina does not follow a pattern. You can get it while you are sitting quietly or lying in bed at night and your heart isn't working harder than usual. Also, unstable angina usually doesn't go away when you take your angina medication. And you might find you are having more attacks or having worse pain than usual.

If you think you have unstable angina, call for emergency medical help. It could be a sign that you will have a heart attack soon.

Unstable angina is usually caused by a larger blockage in one of your coronary arteries. This happens when a fatty clump (called a plaque) inside your artery breaks open and a blood clot forms on top of it.

The blood clot can partly go away but come back later. Each time a clot blocks the artery, you can get chest pain. You might also get a clot that stays and narrows the artery so much that you have angina even when you are resting.

To learn more, see Angina, unstable.

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 with 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.

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 2008. All rights reserved.