Angina is chest pain, tightness, or discomfort that comes and goes. It is your heart muscle's way of telling you that it is not getting enough oxygen. It can be relieved (helped) with rest, oxygen, or special medicine. An angina attack does not cause the heart muscle to die, like an MI does. However, this pain can be a warning sign that you may be at risk for a myocardial infarction.

Other names: Angina Pectoris, Stable or Common, Unstable, Variant, Prinzmetal's, Coronary Artery Spasm, Acute Coronary Syndrome.

Natural treatment
People with angina should stop smoking, lose excess weight, eat a heart-healthy diet, exercise regularly, and consume more fresh garlic since it can dilate blood vessels and improve circulation. Review the information in this heart disease article. Certain natural supplements have been tested with some benefit.

Arjuna bark has been tested in patients with angina. Arjuna bark dilates blood vessels, even in cigarette smokers. Do not take this herb unless you have approval by your doctor.

Compound salvia pellet, consisting of active herbal ingredients extracted from Danshen (salvia miltiorrhiza), Sanqi (panax notoginseng), and Borneol (Cinnamomum camphora), is taken frequently by patients with angina pectoris in China.

Are coq10 and alpha lipoic acid helpful in angina pain?
   I don't think these 2 nutrients have an immediate beneficial effect but they could provide long term benefits when used in low dosages.

Can someone take saw palmetto if they have mild, occasional angina?
   Probably, but discuss with your doctor to make sure it is okay in your particular case.

I've had several episodes of angina chest pain over the last 6 months or so. I started seeing a alternative Dr. and began taking a large amount of different supplements, Lysine and vitamin C (Linus Pauling's work). However, I ended up in the ER last week with chest pain. My heart started beating quite fast and my hands were shaking. I also had what felt like a "hot flash" on my face. They did a CT of my heart & also a nuclear stress test which they said was normal. My GP doctor had me do a bunch of blood tests and wants me to have a cardiac ultrasound and wear a Halter monitor. My research leads me to believe I may have variant angina, as my pain almost always happens at rest (driving, watching TV). I'm 39 y.o., white male. Do you think L-arginine or arjuna would help me if I do actually have variant angina?
   It is impossible for us to predict which supplement would help you in terms of angina relief, all we can do is present the research on these supplements.

Symptom and sign
Angina pectoris derives from Latin and translates as 'tight chest'. It feels like an oppressive, heavy, crushing pain or a constricting feeling in the centre of the chest behind the breast bone (sternum) or on the left side of the front of the chest. The chest pain can radiate out to either one or both arms, more often the left. It can be experienced in the throat, jaw, the stomach and, more rarely, between the shoulder blades.

Angina is pain or discomfort, most often in the chest, that happens when some region of the heart does not receive enough oxygen from the blood. It is usually a symptom of coronary artery disease, which occurs when the vessels that carry blood to the heart become narrowed and blocked due to atherosclerosis. Angina is most commonly felt after physical exertion. It is also triggered by stress, extreme cold or heat, heavy meals, alcohol, and cigarette smoking.

Unstable angina
This pain occurs with lesser degrees of exertion or while at rest. This type increases in frequency and duration and worsens in severity. Unstable angina is an acute coronary syndrome that requires immediate medical attention.

Angina treatment
The first step in angina treatment is to eliminate risk factors that are likely to hasten the progression of heart disease. Although physicians do not know everything about the causes of angina and atheroma (fatty deposits, or plaques, within the blood vessels), they do know enough to offer effective medical treatment. Such treatment will depend upon the results of exercise tolerance and other tests, the presence or absence of symptoms, and the individual's personal preferences.
   Family stress -- especially stress involving spouses and children -- hurts the heart.

Medications
These are used to control the symptoms of angina caused by blocked or narrowed coronary arteries. Some patients think that medications for angina are curative, but they actually only treat symptoms of angina, and do not take away the plaque in the arteries that cause the narrowing.
   One of the common medications for angina is aspirin since it helps thin the blood and prevents blood clots but does not take care of angina pain. Some of the medications that actually prevent angina pain from occurring include long acting nitrates, beta blockers, and calcium channel blockers. For acute angina pain, sublingual nitroglycerine tablets or spray are used.
   Up to 50 percent of Asians carry a genetic variant or "polymorphism" that makes nitroglycerin less effective, or even ineffective, for the treatment of angina.