Stable angina

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Heart, front view

Stable angina

Angina - stable; Angina - chronic; Angina pectoris

The goals of treatment are to reduce symptoms and prevent complications. If you experience angina pain, you should:

• Rest
• Take nitroglycerin (only if prescribed by your doctor)

There are three primary forms of medication for stable angina.

1. Medications that improve long-term health include aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), and cholesterol-lowering drugs.
2. Medications that improve symptoms include nitrates and calcium channel blowers.
3. Medications that do both include beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors.

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved new type of medication called ranolazine (Ranexa) for the treatment of chronic angina. The drug is for patients who do not respond to traditional angina treatment. It should be used in combination with other medicals. Your doctor will tell you which ones.

Your doctor may recommend a cardiac rehabilitation program to help improve your heart's fitness.

Some patients may need surgery such as:

• Percutanueous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)
• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

Stable angina usually improves with medication.

• Unstable angina
• Heart attack
• Sudden death caused by lethal arrhythmias

Call your health care provider if any of the following occur:

• Chest pain develops that has not been evaluated
• Your angina changes in frequency, severity, duration, or character (for example, it happens at rest or lasts longer than 15 minutes)
• Your angina requires increasing doses of nitroglycerin

Review Date: 02/13/2006
Reviewed By: Frederic F. Little, M.D., Department of Allergy and Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.