Tag: coronary artery spasm

Research

Impact of Nitroglycerin Administration on Acetylcholine Provocation Testing in Angina...

Introduction

Nearly half of all patients undergoing coronary angiography for stable angina are found to have nonobstructive coronary arteries. Invasive coronary function testing (CFT), using acetylcholine (ACh) to diagnose coronary artery spasm (CAS) and a pressure-temperature sensing guide wire to evaluate for coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD), is considered the gold standard for evaluating patients with angina with […]

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Research

Multivessel Coronary Function Testing Increases Diagnostic Yield in Patients With...

Invasive CFT is the gold standard for diagnosing coronary vasomotor dysfunction in patients with ANOCA. Most institutions recommend only testing the left coronary circulation. Therefore, it is unknown whether testing multiple coronary territories would increase diagnostic yield.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of multivessel, compared with single-vessel, invasive coronary function testing (CFT) in patients with angina and nonobstructive coronary arteries (ANOCA).

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Research

Vasospastic angina: a review on diagnostic approach and management

Vasospastic angina (VSA) refers to chest pain experienced as a consequence of myocardial ischaemia caused by epicardial coronary spasm, a sudden narrowing of the vessels responsible for an inadequate supply of blood and oxygen. Coronary artery spasm is a heterogeneous phenomenon that can occur in patients with non-obstructive coronary arteries and obstructive coronary artery disease, with transient spasm causing chest pain and persistent spasm potentially leading to acute myocardial infarction (MI).

VSA was originally described as Prinzmetal angina or variant angina, classically presenting at rest, unlike most cases of angina (though in some patients, vasospasm may be triggered by exertion, emotional, mental or physical stress), and associated with transient electrocardiographic changes (transient ST-segment elevation, depression and/or T-wave changes).

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Research

Design and rationale of the NetherLands registry of invasive Coronary...

Angina without angiographic evidence of obstructive coronary artery disease (ANOCA) is a highly prevalent condition with insufficient pathophysiological knowledge and lack of evidence-based medical therapies. This affects ANOCA patients prognosis, their healthcare utilization and quality of life.

In current guidelines, performing a coronary function test (CFT) is recommended to identify a specific vasomotor dysfunction endotype. The NetherLands registry of invasive Coronary vasomotor Function testing (NL-CFT) has been designed to collect data on ANOCA patients undergoing CFT in the Netherlands.

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Research

Vasospastic Angina: A Contemporary Review of its Pathophysiology, Diagnosis and...

Nearly 40% of patients presenting to the catheter laboratory with angina have non-obstructed coronary arteries (ANOCA), an umbrella term that encompasses distinct pathophysiological entities, such as coronary artery spasm.

Coronary artery spasm leads to sudden reversible coronary flow attenuation, which clinically manifests as vasospastic angina (VSA). VSA is associated with poor quality of life and an increased risk of major adverse cardiac events. However, the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are incompletely understood, which has resulted in limited therapeutic options for patients afflicted with this condition. The past decade has seen a surge in new research being conducted in the field of ANOCA and VSA.

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Research

The Role of Mental Stress in Ischaemia with No Obstructive...

Ischaemic heart disease has been estimated to affect 126.5 million people globally. Approximately 70% of patients with angina and suspected myocardial ischaemia show no signs of obstructed coronary arteries after coronary angiography, but may still demonstrate ischaemia. Ischaemia with no obstructive coronary artery disease (INOCA) is increasingly acknowledged as a serious condition because of its association with poor quality of life and elevated risk for cardiovascular events.

The negative effects of psychological stress on INOCA are gaining more attention. Psychological stress is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes such as mental stress-induced myocardial ischaemia. Psychological stress includes anxiety, depression, anger and personality disturbances.

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Research

Coronary Artery Spasm: The Interplay Between Endothelial Dysfunction and Vascular...

Patients with angina pectoris, the cardinal symptom of myocardial ischaemia, yet without significant flow-limiting epicardial artery stenosis represent a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is an established cause for anginal chest pain in patients with angiographically unobstructed coronary arteries. CAS may occur at the epicardial level and/or in the microvasculature.

Although the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of CAS are still largely unclear, endothelial dysfunction and vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) hyperreactivity seem to be involved as major players, although their contribution to induce CAS is still seen as controversial.

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Research

International standardization of diagnostic criteria for vasospastic angina

Standardization of diagnostic criteria for ischemic symptoms due to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is needed for further investigation of patients presenting with anginal chest pain consistent with “microvascular angina” (MVA).

At the annual Coronary Vasomotion Disorders International Study Group (COVADIS) Summits held in August 2014 and 2015, the following criteria were agreed upon for the investigative diagnosis of microvascular angina…

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Research

International standardization of diagnostic criteria for microvascular angina

Standardization of diagnostic criteria for ischemic symptoms due to coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) is needed for further investigation of patients presenting with anginal chest pain consistent with “microvascular angina” (MVA).

At the annual Coronary Vasomotion Disorders International Study Group (COVADIS) Summits held in August 2014 and 2015, the following criteria were agreed upon for the investigative diagnosis of microvascular angina…

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Around The World

Real Patient Stories

Barbara’s story

I am a 62-year-old retired physician. My story began at age 47.

I was a very busy practicing OB/Gyn physician who was otherwise healthy.

I was on call at the hospital, and it was turning out to be one of the busiest days I had ever experienced as a physician. I was in a medical group that took call for 24 hours straight, most of the time working the entire 24 hours.

Halfway through that 24-hour call, I was in the operating room doing a C/Section on a patient. Halfway through the surgery I began to feel crushing chest pain.

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Arthur’s story

My name is Arthur. I am a Scot but have lived in London for nearly forty years.

In 2014, I had my first heart attack. In the following six years, I went to A&E at least twice a year. Every time, I was sent home and was told it was reflux.

My own doctor in about 2015/16 put me on half an angina pill. When I was in hospital, I was told by the cardiology doctors that I did not need it as I never had angina at all.

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Sandra’s story

My story began in January 2010, while sitting at a traffic light returning to the office. I was working as a home health physical therapist. I began having chest pain out of nowhere. I got to my office and my boss, an RN, asked me if I was OK. I told her about the chest pain. By then it was starting to progress down my left arm. She took my blood pressure, normally 98/68. It was 140/90. She called my husband and told him to meet me at the ER. I drove myself there. They ran the normal tests and diagnosed me with costochondritis. Pain meds made the symptoms go away. The pain came back six times in the next 6 months. I asked for a cardiologist referral, but was denied, due to my age (39), lack of family history, and being in shape.

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