Angina Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Angina - Essay Example Pain occurring for few seconds or lasting for many hours and which is above the mandible and below the epigastrium is not due to angina (Alaeddini, 2006). Also, the intensity of angina does not change with respiration, cough, or change in position. Other symptoms include palpitations, exertional dyspnoea, diaphoresis, nausea and decreased exercise tolerance (Fenton 2007). Angina decubitus is a variant of angina that occurs typically in the night when the patient is in the recumbent position. Unstable angina is new-onset angina with significant recent increase in frequency and severity of angina, or angina at rest. The angina is of atleast class-III severity (Alaeddini, 2006). 1. Decreased myocardial blood supply due to increased coronary resistance in large and small coronary arteries due to coronary atherosclerotic lesion, coronary spasm, microvascular angina, systemic inflammatory or collagen vascular diseases, etc (Alaeddini, 2006). The major risk factors for atherosclerosis include family history of premature coronary artery disease, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, or systemic hypertension. Other risk factors are LV hypertrophy, obesity, and elevated serum levels of homocysteine, lipoprotein-A, plasminogen activator inhibitor, fibrinogen, serum triglycerides, or low high-density lipoprotein (Alaeddini, 2006). The main stay of treatment for angina pectoris is sublingual nitroglycerin. It is used both for acute relief of symptoms and as prophylactic treatment during certain activities. Betablockers are also used for symptomatic relief of angina and prevention of ischemic events. Calcium channel blockers can be used to control anginal symptoms in patients with a contraindication to beta-blockers and in those in whom symptomatic relief of angina cannot be achieved with the use of beta-blockers, nitrates, or both (Alaeddini, 2006). Antiplatelet drugs like aspirin or clopidogrel are given to prevent