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Ency. home > Disease > C > Coronary artery spasm

Coronary artery spasm    See images

Overview | Symptoms | Treatment | Prevention

Alternative names:

Variant angina; Angina - variant

Definition:

Coronary artery spasm is a temporary, abrupt, and focal contraction of the muscles in the wall of an artery in the heart, making the artery constrict. This slows or stops blood flow through the artery during the spasm.

Causes and Risks

Coronary artery spasm is a cause of ischemia (inadequate oxygen levels) of the heart. It affects approximately 4 out of 100,000 people, or 2% of patients with angina.

The arteries affected may be normal or, much more often, they are "hardened" (atherosclerotic). Spasm may be "silent" -- without symptoms -- or it may result in stable angina or unstable angina. The most typical manifestation is variant angina (see below). Prolonged spasm may even cause heart attack.

Coronary artery spasm may occur spontaneously, or it may be caused by exposure to cold, emotional stress, alcohol withdrawal, or vasoconstricting medications. Cocaine use and cigarette smoking can cause severe spasm of the arteries while at the same time increasing the energy requirements of the heart. Variant angina is a syndrome, probably involving coronary artery spasm, where the angina pain is triggered by rather unusual factors. It most often affects women under 50, but also men.

Ency. home > Disease > C > Coronary artery spasm

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