Stable Angina vs Unstable Angina: What’s the Difference?
Published in NJ Heart and Lung News
Angina pectoris is the medical term for chest pain caused by heart disease. It usually feels like pressure in the chest, but can also radiate to the shoulders, arms, back, neck, or jaw. Angina itself is not a disease, it is merely a symptom of underlying heart disease.
The two most common types of angina are stable angina and unstable angina.
Both types can occur when the heart is overworking, but here’s the crucial difference:
Stable Angina
The most common type of angina, stable angina, is considered “stable” because of its predictability: it usually occurs with activity or emotional stress. However, anything that makes the heart work harder or reduces how much oxygen it receives, can bring on an angina attack. Something as simple as cold weather can be a trigger, and even the “stress” of a very large meal can precipitate an attack. The pain of a stable angina attack does not get worse over time, and will usually go away after a few minutes of rest, or after taking angina medication.
While stable angina is not as serious as unstable angina, it can be painful, and indicates an increased risk of heart attack. For that reason, Medicare and other insurers will pay for cardiac rehabilitation for beneficiaries who have a current case of stable angina.
Unstable Angina
Unstable angina is unpredictable. It can occur with or without physical activity, and is not relieved by rest or angina medication. Unlike stable angina, the pain of unstable angina can get worse over a short period of time.
Unstable angina is an emergency condition, and it is often a precursor to a heart attack. If someone is suffering from an attack of unstable angina, it is important to get them emergency treatment right away.
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