ANGINA PECTORIS

ANGINA PECTORIS


Submitted by: Course: SBI OAO To: Date:


                       CONTENTS


 3  Introduction

 4  The Human Heart

 5  Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease

 5       Heart Attack

 5       Sudden Death

 5       Angina

 6  Angina Pectoris

 6       Signs and Symptoms

 7       Different Forms of Angina

 8       Causes of Angina

 9  Atherosclerosis

 9       Plaque

 10      Lipoproteins

 10      Lipoproteins and Atheroma

 11 Risk Factors

 11       Family History

 11       Diabetes

 11       Hypertension

 11       Cholesterol

 12       Smoking

 12       Multiple Risk Factors

 13  Diagnosis

 14  Drug Treatment

 14       Nitrates

 14       Beta-blockers

 15       Calcium antagonists

 15       Other Medications

 16  Surgery

 16       Coronary Bypass Surgery

 17       Angioplasty

 18  Self-Help

 20  Type-A Behaviour Pattern

 21  Cardiac Rehab Program

 22  Conclusion

 23  Diagrams and Charts

 26  Bibliography


INTRODUCTION


     In today's society, people are gaining medical knowledge at quite a fast

pace. Treatments, cures, and vaccines for various diseases and disorders are

being developed constantly, and yet, coronary heart disease remains the number

one killer in the world.


     The media today concentrates intensely on drug and alcohol abuse, homicides,

AIDS and so on. What a lot of people are not realizing is that coronary heart

disease actually accounts for about 80% of all sudden deaths. In fact, the

number of deaths from heart disease approximately equals to the number of deaths

from cancer, accidents, chronic lung disease, pneumonia and influenza, and

others, COMBINED.


     One of the symptoms of coronary heart disease is angina pectoris.

Unfortunately, a lot of people do not take it seriously, and thus not realizing

that it may lead to other complications, and even death.


THE HUMAN HEART


     In order to understand angina, one must know about our own heart. The human

heart is a powerful muscle in the body which is worked the hardest. A double

pump system, the heart consists of two pumps side by side, which pump blood to

all parts of the body. Its steady beating maintains the flow of blood through

the body day and night, year after year, non-stop from birth until death.


     The heart is a hollow, muscular organ slightly bigger than a person's

clenched fist. It is located in the centre of the chest, under the breastbone

above the sternum, but it is slanted slightly to the left, giving people the

impression that their heart is on the left side of their chest.


     The heart is divided into two halves, which are further divided into four

chambers: the left atrium and ventricle, and the right atrium and ventricle.

Each chamber on one side is separated from the other by a valve, and it is the

closure of these valves that produce the "lubb-dubb" sound so familiar to us.

(see Fig. 1 - The Structure of the Heart)


     Like any other organs in our body, the heart needs a supply of blood and

oxygen, and coronary arteries supply them. There are two main coronary arteries,

the left coronary artery, and the right coronary artery. They branch off the

main artery of the body, the aorta. The right coronary artery circles the right

side and goes to the back of the heart. The left coronary artery further divides

into the left circumflex and the left anterior descending artery. These two left

arteries feed the front and the left side of the heart. The division of the left

coronary artery is the reason why doctors usually refer to three main coronary

arteries. (Fig. 2 - Coronary Arteries)SYMPTOMS OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE


     There are three main symptoms of coronary heart disease: Heart Attack,

Sudden Death, and Angina.


Heart Attack


     Heart attack occurs when a blood clot suddenly and completely blocks a

diseased coronary artery, resulting in the death of the heart muscle cells

supplied by that artery. Coronary and Coronary Thrombosis2 are terms that can

refer to a heart attack. Another term, Acute myocardial infarction2, means death

of heart muscle due to an inadequat
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