Cardiologist Yulia Marshintseva: angina occurs due to the blockage of blood vessels by atherosclerotic plaques.
Cardiologist Marshintseva said in an interview that in adults, the occurrence of a heart attack is preceded by angina pectoris – a disease of the vessels that feed the heart, in which atherosclerotic plaques form and grow in them. The larger these formations become, the higher the severity of angina is assessed. When a vessel supplying blood to the heart is completely blocked by plaque, myocardial infarction develops, the doctor explained.
“It happens that a heart attack happens here and now, but this usually happens to young people. With age, a heart attack is preceded by angina pectoris… the more often it occurs and the higher its functional class becomes, the greater the risk of a heart attack,” Marshintseva shared with RIA Novosti.
The cardiologist named its symptoms – one of the “classic” manifestations of the pathology is a feeling of heaviness in the chest area.
“With angina pectoris, people experience chest pain during physical exertion, they describe it as if something heavy was placed on the sternum,” the doctor clarified.
Also, the specialist added, angina is characterized by a feeling of shortness of breath and dyspnea that occurs even with slight physical exertion. When the disease reaches its highest severity (this is the 4th functional class of angina), a person experiences shortness of breath and chest pain even when he is simply sitting or lying down.
Yulia Marshintseva emphasized: if shortness of breath occurs that was not there before, you need to see a cardiologist.
Earlier, the MedikForum.ru portal wrote about the symptoms of carotid artery occlusion – a disorder that results in a stroke.
Important! The information is provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and do not self-medicate under any circumstances. At the first signs of illness, consult a doctor.
Yulia Marshintseva Health cardiologist