ANGINA

ANGINA

Angina is chest pain or discomfort you feel when there is not enough blood flow to your heart muscle. Your heart muscle needs the oxygen that the blood carries. Angina may feel like pressure or a squeezing pain in your chest. It may feel like indigestion. You may also feel pain in your shoulders, arms, neck, jaw, or back.

Angina is a symptom of coronary artery disease(CAD), the most common heart disease. CAD happens when a sticky substance called plaque builds up in the arteries that supply blood to the heart, reducing blood flow.

There are three types of angina:

-Stable angina is the most common type. It happens when the heart is working harder than usual. Stable angina has a regular pattern. Rest and medicines usually help.

-Unstable angina is the most dangerous. It does not follow a pattern and can happen without physical exertion. It does not go away with rest or medicine. It is a sign that you could have a heart attack soon.

-Variant angina is rare. It happens when you are resting. Medicines can help.

Nitrates, calcium-channel blockers and other antianginal drugs.
1. Nitrates:
-Glyceryl Trinitrate (GTN, Coro-Nitro Pump Spray, Glytrin Spray, Nitromin, Suscard, Nitrocine, Nitronal, Deponit, Minitran, Percutol, Nitro-Dur, Transiderm-Nitro, Trintek).
-Isosorbide Dinitrate (Angitak, Cedocard Retard, Isoket Retard).
-Isosorbide Mononitrate (Elantan, Ismo, Chemydur, Imdur, Isodur, Isotard. Isib, Modisal, Monomax, Monomil, Monosorb, Zemon).
2. Calcium-channel blockers:
-Amlodipine (Istin, Exforge).
-Diltiazem Hydrochloride (Tildiem, Adizem, Angitil, Calcicard, Dilcardia, Dilzem, Slozem, Tildiem, Viazem, Zemtard).
-Felodipine (Plendil).
-Isradipine (Prescal).
-Lacidipine (Motens).
-Lercanidipine Hydrochloride (Zanidip).
-Nicardipine Hydrochloride (Cardene).
-Nifedipine (Adalat, Adipine, Coracten, Fortipine, Hypolar Retard, Nifedipress, Tensipine, Vaini).
-Nimodipine (Nimotop).
-Verapamil Hydrochloride (Cordilox, Securon, Univer, Verapress, Vertab).
3. Other antianginal drugs:
-Ivabradine (Procoralan).
-Nicorandil (Ikorel).
4. Peripheral vasodilators and related drugs:
-Cilostazol (Pletal).
-Inositol Nicotinate (Hexopal).
-Moxisylyte (Opilon).
-Naftidrofuryl Oxalate (Praxilene).
-Pentoxifylline (Trental).

Sources:
-http://www.nlm.nih.gov/bsd/pmresources.html
-BNF 57 March 2009