Angina
Angina (angina pectoris) is a type of temporary chest pain, pressure or discomfort. In one type of angina, called stable angina, the attacks happen only when the heart needs extra oxygen, like when a person climbs a long flight of stairs or jogs across the street. In another type of angina, called unstable angina, angina attacks may occur more frequently, with less activity-even when a person is at rest.
When the heart is not getting enough oxygen-rich blood (cardiac ischemia), angina can be considered a distress call or warning signal. The most common cause of cardiac ischemia is coronary artery disease. The coronary arteries supply the heart with oxygen-rich blood. When they are hardened and narrowed oxygen-rich blood may not be able to travel freely to the hear, triggering cardiac ischemia and (often) angina.
Not only can cardiac ishemia cause angina, but it can also lead to dangerous problems over time if underlying conditions are left untreated.
Fortunately, treatment is available. Treatment usually includes a combination of "lifestyle changes" that people can make on their own (e.g. quitting smoking) and taking medication (e.g. nitrates)
Statistics
Estimates are that 6,800,000 people in the United States suffer from angina.
An estimated 400,000 new cases of stable angina occur each year. (Framingham Heart Study, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
The estimated age-adjusted prevalence of angina is greater in women than in men. Angina rates in women age 20 and older were 3.9 percent for non-Hispanic white women, 6.2 percent for non-Hispanic black women and 5.5 percent for Mexican-American women. Rates for men in these three groups were 2.6, 3.1 and 4.1 percent, respectively.*
Among American adults age 20 and older, the estimated age-adjusted prevalence of coronary heart disease for non-Hispanic whites is 6.9 percent for men and 5.4 percent for women; for non-Hispanic blacks, 7.1 percent for men and 9 percent for women; and for Mexican-Americans, 7.2 percent for men and 6.8 percent for women.*
*Based on the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (NHANES III, 1998-94), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics.
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