In a Heartbeat

Angina comes in three varieties

If you have angina, the chest pain associated with heart disease, you know it's a sign of trouble. But you may not know that there are three types of angina.

The Orange Park (Fla.) Medical Center says they are: stable angina, unstable angina and Prinzmetal's angina. All three indicate heart disease, but there are differences.

  • Stable angina is predictable, usually occurring in the morning and after stress or exertion. Rest often makes it go away.
  • Unstable angina is considered more serious and can mean you are more likely to have a heart attack. It is marked by severe pain during sleep or at rest or after moderate exertion such as walking up a flight of stairs. It may be a progression from stable angina.
  • Prinzmetal's angina occurs at rest and is a spasm of the coronary artery. Treatment almost always relieves it.

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