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Microvascular Angina When it affects the Heart
Microvascular Angina: When it affects the heart, particularly in the context of chest pain or angina that is due to small vessel dysfunction rather than blockages in the larger coronary arteries.
Microvascular angina is a specific type of angina (chest pain) that occurs when the smaller coronary arteries in the heart malfunction. Unlike the more common form of angina, which is usually caused by blockages or narrowing in the larger coronary arteries, microvascular angina is due to issues in the smaller vessels. These small vessels are crucial for the fine-tuning of blood flow to the heart muscle, especially during times of increased demand like physical exertion or emotional stress.
In microvascular angina, even though the larger coronary arteries are not significantly blocked, the smaller vessels cannot dilate properly to increase blood flow as needed. This leads to a mismatch between the oxygen demand and supply to the heart muscle, causing symptoms similar to traditional angina, such as chest pain or discomfort. However, this condition can be more challenging to diagnose because standard tests like coronary angiograms, which visualize the larger coronary arteries, might appear normal.
People with microvascular angina often experience chest pain more frequently and for longer durations than those with classical angina. The pain might not necessarily be triggered by physical exertion and can occur during rest or even emotional stress. Treatment for microvascular angina typically involves medications that improve blood flow or reduce the workload of the heart, lifestyle changes, and sometimes therapies to manage pain and other symptoms.
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