Angina Pectoris, or more commonly referred to as angina, is the medical term applied to chest pain brought about by irregularities in the heart muscle, usually caused by the restriction of blood supply. The main culprit to be singled out for this ailment would be the obstruction of the coronary arteries which leads to spasms. Atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease are also two major causes of angina pectoris. The most common characteristic of this ailment is a strangling feeling in the chest.

Symptoms

More than chest pain, most of those who suffer from angina pectoris would be complaining about a heavy discomfort in the chest area, akin to a certain kind of pressure which resembles that of heaviness, squeezing, or even a burning sensation. As such, typical chest pain which do not involve such characteristics might not be indicative of angina pectoris. Chest aside, such discomfort could also be felt in other parts of the upper torso such as the central abdominal area, the back, the shoulders, and the neck. Other signs and symptoms include sweating, nausea, and breathlessness. Short and abrupt chest pain does not necessarily equate to angina pectoris.

Causes

Since angina pectoris is brought about by the narrowing of the blood vessels, atherosclerosis, which is the main cause of such heart ailment, would be number one on the primary list of causes of this heart ailment. In addition, myocardial ischemia can also exacerbate risks.

Patient Profile

There is a certain profile and lifestyle to which angina pectoris is usually attributed. For men, the most common demographic affected would be 55 and above, while for women it would be the above 65 age group. Heavy smokers as well as those with family history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, kidney disease, and obesity are also considered as high risk groups.

Other Medical Issues

Furthermore, individuals suffering from the following ailments could have higher risk of angina pectoris: anemia, hyperthyroidism, hypoxemia, and several other cardiac problems not limited to tachyarrhythmia, bradyarrhythmia, valvular heart disease, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Stable Angina

Also referred to as effort angina, this particular type of angina pectoris is brought about by sudden bursts of activity which results in chest pain which immediately goes away a few minutes after resting. As such, it is considered to be a less provocative variant of the ailment.

Unstable Angina

Also referred to as crescendo angina, this is the one which you should look out for, given how it could change and worsen over time. This particular type occurs during resting period and is characterized by discomfort which is more and more severe as the weeks go by, eventually leading to that point when the discomfort could already be unbearable. This type of angina pectoris is a typical precursor of a heart attack.

Clinical Diagnosis

The most common sign of angina pectoris would be a heavy discomfort in the chest area. Given how the common causes for which, such as emotional stress and sudden changes in the environment could, could easily be predicted, resulting chest pain after such events should be considered as the onset of angina pectoris. The thing about diagnosing this ailment is that it happens without warning, which means that diagnosis would be more reactionary in nature unless done so in advance. As a prevention tool, a regular electrocardiogram would suffice to detect angina pectoris. For those already suffering from it, a coronary artery bypass graft is the most urgent solution doctors often turn to. A coronary angiogram is also possible if the severity of the case is not that serious.

Treatment and Medication

For those who have been experiencing constant anginal chest pain, Amlodipine would most likely be the drug to be prescribed by one’s physician. This drug is more commonly known by the name Norvasc, which is marketed by Pfizer. Other brand names under which it is sold include Aken, Emadine, Camlodin, Hipril, Dailyvasc, Amlopine, Aforbes, and Tenox.

What Amlodipine does is to act as a calcium blocker which aims to relax the walls of arterial smooth muscles, which in turn results in the reduction of peripheral resistance responsible for more controllable levels of blood flow. As a result, blood circulation is improved by means of improved blood flow to the heart muscle.

Amlodipine is also the drug of choice prescribed to combat other related cardiovascular ailments not limited to hypertension as well as coronary heart disease. Given its blood pressure reductive qualities, it serves as a wonder drug for better blood circulation.

Amlodipine is on the World Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines, considered as an essential drug, especially for developing countries. Its significance in the basic health system is further reinforced by the high incidence of cardiovascular diseases which have been blamed for many deaths per year in the United States alone.