Angina and its classification

Angina is chest pain, agony, or stiffness that happens when an part of the heart muscle is acquiring reduced blood oxygen supply. It is not a illness itself, but rather a symptom of coronary artery disease, the most common class of heart sickness. The deficit of oxygen rich blood to the heart is normally an outcome of narrower coronary arteries due to plaque buildup, a condition named atherosclerosis. Thin arteries magnify the chance of pain, coronary arterydisease, heart attack, and death.

Angina can manifest in the form of attack, pain or discomfort in the chest, which can last from one (1) to fifteen (15) minutes. Angina is also classified in three levels, which are

Stable (or chronic) angina: the heart works harder than usual (exercise); it follows a regular pattern, predictable to occur over a short or long time period. This is relieved by resting or using medicines.


Unstable angina: as its name says, this is the uncommon type. It can happen at any moment, even when at rest. So, it is not relieved by rest or medicine and can be a warning sign of sudden (within weeks-hours) or future heart attack. Because of it, this is the most dangerous type.


Variant (Prinzmetal's) angina and microvascular (smallest vessels) angina: Similar to Unstable angina, this is very rare and unstable as well, and the person does not necessarily need to have an underlying heart disease. The atypical thinning or contraction of blood vessels causes this type of angina. However, different to Unstable Angina, this is relieved with medications.