There is currently very little support for this group of patients. The condition can affect any age but especially those aged over 50.
In some cases, the vasospasm can cause not just angina, but a heart attack, a significant and life-threatening event. What is the outlook for these patients?įor some, it goes away on its own. ACE inhibitors and statins may also help blood vessel health. These drugs work by stopping calcium being absorbed into the muscle cells of your blood vessels, which has the effect of relaxing the blood vessels. It is treated with a calcium channel blocker such as verapamil or diltiazem. What are the treatment options for coronary artery spasm? The spasm may be linked to areas of inflammation within the blood vessel wall. Stress can cause constriction of the coronary arteries if there is too much of the tightening chemicals and not enough relaxing chemicals. There are chemicals in the body that cause the blood vessels to tighten and other chemicals that cause the blood vessels to relax. If the blood vessel instead constricts (vasospasm), we can diagnose coronary artery spasm. How is coronary artery spasm diagnosed?Īn angiogram is used to give an X-ray image of the heart arteries, while a doctor injects a dose of a chemical called acetylcholine, which should cause blood vessels to relax. This means that you’ve had a heart attack, but without a blockage in a coronary artery, which is the usual cause of a heart attack.
You might also hear the term MINOCA, which stands for Myocardial Infarction with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries. Coronary artery spasm is one of the conditions included under this umbrella term, another is microvascular angina. This means there is restricted blood flow to the heart, but this is not caused by fatty plaques blocking the coronary arteries. INOCA stands for Ischaemia with Non-Obstructive Coronary Arteries. Yes - it is also called vasospastic angina, and has historically been known as Prinzmetal angina or variant angina. Is it the same thing as Prinzmetal angina or vasospastic angina? Some patients have both coronary artery spasm and microvascular angina (issues with the smallest arteries that supply the heart), or even have it alongside blockages caused by fatty plaques. Unlike angina caused by fatty plaques that block arteries to the heart, it’s caused by a spasm of the muscle layer in the wall of the blood vessel, which leads to a temporary artery blockage. In some cases they may be linked to the menstrual cycle. These symptoms may occur spontaneously or due to cold weather, exercise or stress. It is chest tightness or pain caused by tightening of a heart artery. Professor Colin Berry explains the condition to Senior Cardiac Nurse Emily McGrath. Coronary artery spasm: What is it and what are the treatment options?Īn under-diagnosed condition called coronary artery spasm, also known as Variant angina or Prinzmetal angina, causes chest pain for many people.
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