Unstable angina
Alternative Names
Accelerating angina; New-onset angina; Angina - unstable; Progressive anginaTreatment
Your doctor may want you to check into the hospital to get some rest and prevent complications.
Blood thinners (antiplatelet drugs) are commonly used to treat and prevent unstable angina. Such medicines include aspirin and the prescription drug clopidogrel. The two medicines are often used together. Aspirin (and sometimes clopidogrel) may reduce the chance of heart attack in certain patients.
During an unstable angina event, you may receive heparin and nitroglycerin. Other treatments may include medicines to control blood pressure, anxiety, abnormal heart rhythms, and cholesterol.
Some people may need CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting) or angioplasty with stenting. Angioplasty with stenting does not help you live longer than just taking medicine, but it can reduce angina or other symptoms of coronary artery disease. Angioplasty with stenting, however, can be a life-saving procedure if you are having a heart attack
Outlook (Prognosis)
How well you do depends on many different things, including:
- The severity of coronary artery disease
- The severity of the most current unstable angina attack
- Whether you've ever had a heart attack
- The medicines you were taking when the angina attack started
Arrhythmias and heart attacks can cause sudden death.
Possible Complications
Unstable angina may lead to a heart attack.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call your health care provider if you have any symptoms of angina.
If you think you are having a heart attack, seek immediate medical treatment.
References
Boden WE, O'rourke RA, Teo KK, et al. Optimal Medical Therapy with or without PCI for Stable Coronary Disease. N Engl J Med. 2007 Mar 26; [Epub ahead of print].
Braunwald E, Antman EM, Beasley JW, et al. ACC/AHA Guideline Update for the Management of Patients With Unstable Angina and Non–ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction -- 2002: Summary Article: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Committee on the Management of Patients With Unstable Angina). Circulation. 2002;106:1893
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