Stenocardia are the clinical syndromes that develop in connection with the inability of coronary blood flow to supply the myocardium with nutrients in the required amount. There are stable and unstable angina. Chronic stable angina is characterized by the stability of clinical manifestations - painful attacks that occur with loads of a certain level for at least three months.
Causes of Stable Angina
The main cause of the pathology is atherosclerotic lesion of the cardiac vessels, leading to their considerable stenosis. Risk factors are:
- arterial hypertension;
- diabetes;
- obesity ;
- smoking;
- hypodynamia;
- premature menopause;
- long-term use of combined oral contraceptives.
Symptoms of Stable Angina
Attacks of stable angina occur during walking, a certain physical strain or a strong emotional load. Characteristic of the following manifestations:
- burning sensation, compression behind the sternum;
- chest pain of a bursting, burning or pressing nature that can irradiate to the neck, shoulders, back, epigastric region;
- shortness of breath , inability to breathe in full;
- sweating, fever;
- nausea, vomiting;
- confusion of consciousness.
As a rule, during an attack, blood pressure rises, the heart rate increases. Gradually increasing, an attack of stable angina can last from 1 to 15 minutes and subsides after removing the load or taking nitroglycerin. If the attack lasts more than 15 minutes, it is possible to overgrow it into a myocardial infarction.
Diagnosis of Stable Angina
At typical displays of a pathology the diagnosis can be established on the basis of survey, the anamnesis, auscultation and the electrocardiogram (ECG). In other cases, additional research is required:
- daily ECG monitoring;
- veloergometry;
- treadmill test;
- transesophageal electrocardiostimulation;
- echocardiography;
- stress-echocardiography;
- CT coronarography, etc.
Laboratory tests include determination of hematocrit, glucose level, total cholesterol level, hemoglobin, etc.
Treatment of Stable Angina
The main goals of treatment of pathology is to improve the prognosis by preventing the development of myocardial infarction and death, as well as eliminating or alleviating the symptoms. Three groups of drugs are prescribed: nitrates, b-adrenoblockers and slow calcium channel blockers.
The main non-pharmacological recommendations for the treatment of stable angina pectoris are:
- to give up smoking;
- normalization of physical activity;
- adherence to a diet.
In severe cases, surgical treatment is prescribed.