Causes of Unstable Angina
Unstable angina is caused by blood clots that partially or totally block an artery. You may ask, "Isn't this a
heart attack?" The difference between unstable
angina and a heart attack is the amount of time that an artery stays blocked. In unstable angina, for whatever reason, the blood clot dissolves within a short period of time so there is no permanent damage to the heart muscle. In a heart attack, however, the clot does not dissolve in time, causing permanent damage to the heart muscle.
Blood clots may form, partly dissolve, and later form again. Chest pain can occur each time a clot blocks an artery.
Variant angina (also known as
Prinzmetal's angina) is a rare type of angina, accounting for only about 2 out of 100 cases of the condition. Variant angina is caused by a spasm in a coronary artery. The spasm causes the walls of the artery to tighten; this narrows the artery, causing blood flow to the heart to slow or stop. Variant angina may occur in people with and without coronary
heart disease.
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