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- What is angina?
- Symptoms of angina
- Causes of angina
- Prevention of angina
- Risk factors for angina
- Complications of angina
- When to see a doctor about angina
- Diagnosis of angina
- Conventional treatment of angina
- Alternative/complementary treatment of angina
- Living with angina
- Caring for someone with angina
Angina may be unpreventable in certain circumstances:
- Diabetes - people with type 1 diabetes are more likely to have angina as well as coronary heart disease due to their high likelihood to have high blood cholesterol and thus atherosclerosis. People with type 2 diabetes also have this risk, but this type of diabetes is known to be able to b prevented through proper diet and exercise
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There may be ways to prevent angina from occurring:
- Engage in exercise - regular physical activity helps to maintain healthy body weight and also helps to reduce (or even prevent) heart disease, including angina. Regular physical activity is associated with a healthy heart and healthy artery walls (less likely to be clogged with plaque or cholesterol)
- Healthy heart and blood - a healthy heart is less likely to cause any angina symptoms. Keep blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood triglycerides in a healthy range by ensuring that the diet is full of fresh fruit and vegetables, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, fish, some red meat and low fat dairy. It is well known that these factors can contribute to a healthier heart, which can reduce likelihood of developing any type of heart condition, including angina
- Healthy weight - maintaining a healthy weight is vital to preventing many types of health conditions, including heart disease and angina. Weight range should be within healthy limits and especially waist measurements should be in a healthy range (less than 80cm for women and less than 94cm for men)
- Limit alcohol - research shows that high intake of alcohol is implicated in a number of health conditions, including heart disease and angina, so only drink in moderation and ensure that a few days are alcohol free each week. Recent research (Feb 2009) has suggested that any intake of alcohol is significantly associated with a number of cancers and that there is no safe intake level of alcohol, so it is not just the heart that may be at risk
- Reduce stress - prolonged and unrelenting stress is known to cause angina symptoms and this is because of the increase of stress hormones which may constrict heart arteries and worsening angina. Anger and hostility are known to increase blood pressure. Try to engage in some form of relaxation therapy, such as meditation, yoga or even tai chi, to help reduce the effects of stress
- Stop smoking - research shows that smoking (even prolonged exposure to second hand smoke) can cause angina as it constricts the arteries, damages the artery walls and enables more plaque to be deposited in the arteries and cause coronary heart disease such as atherosclerosis
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Sections: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12
< 3: causes 5: risk factors > Last reviewed: 24 August 2007 || Last updated: 6 January 2009
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
