Q. Is angina a precursor for a heart attack?
Doctor Answer is medically reviewed by SecondMedic medical review team.
Yes, angina can be a precursor for a heart attack. Angina is chest pain or discomfort caused by reduced blood flow to the heart. It happens when the oxygen supply to your heart muscle is suddenly and severely limited due to narrowing of coronary arteries (the vessels that take oxygenated blood to your heart).
When this occurs, you’ll feel tightness or pressure in your chest which can spread outwards into other parts of your body like arms, shoulders, neck and even jaw. This pain and discomfort usually lasts from several minutes up to 15 minutes.
Although it is not considered life-threatening on its own, angina may serve as an indicator for something much more serious: A heart attack (myocardial infarction). A heart attack occurs when an artery supplying blood pumps oxygen rich blood becomes blocked due to a buildup of plaque inside the artery's walls - leading to complete obstruction of blood flow. When this happens, the part of the myocardium (heart muscle) supplied by that blocked artery starts to die off because it lacks its regular source of oxygenated fuel – resulting in permanent damage potentially leading death unless emergency treatment is given quickly enough.
Because both conditions are closely related and share similar symptoms - mainly chest discomfort - people with angina should be aware that they could eventually suffer from a major cardiac event such as a myocardial infarction if their condition worsens over time without proper medical intervention; especially if risk factors like high cholesterol levels or smoking habits are present in addition with family history associated with cardiovascular disease . Maintenance medications might also need adjusting depending on the severity of condition too.
That said however there will always be exceptions where people have suffered no lasting damage after suffering an episode or episodes linked with angina pectoris – fortunately these cases should not be overlooked as it gives many sufferers hope for better outcomes yet long term taking good care through lifestyle changes still remains one’s responsibility indeed!
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