Variant Angina Causes & Symptoms

Variant angina, which is also called Prinzmetal's angina, is a rare form of angina in which symptoms typically occur only when a person is at rest. People with Prinzmetal's angina will not experience symptoms during or after physical exertion or stress, which is typical with other types of angina. People with variant angina also tend to experience attacks in clusters, with the condition then not causing any problems for a period. Variant angina is diagnosed only in about 2 percent of people with angina, and it can be treated with medications such as calcium channel blockers and nitrates.

Cause

• Variant angina is caused by a spasm in the coronary artery, with the result that the heart does not get enough oxygen-rich blood. When the spasm occurs, people with angina begin to experience chest pain.

Atherosclerosis

• About two-thirds of people diagnosed with variant angina have a severely blocked coronary artery, a condition called atherosclerosis. In most cases, the spasm that causes an angina attack occurs near the blockage.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of all forms of angina, including variant angina, include chest pain or discomfort. Angina sufferers often say an attack feels like someone is standing on their chest, causing pressure, tightness and heaviness.

While at Rest

• One of the unique characteristics of variant angina is that the symptoms generally occur only when a person is at rest or sleeping. Most variant angina attacks occur between midnight and 8 a.m., and they can be severely painful.

Other Effects

• The symptoms of variant angina do not just affect the heart. The tightness and pressure that characterize an angina attack can be felt throughout much of the upper body, including the back, neck, jaw, shoulder and left arm. Other possible symptoms are nausea and vomiting, sweating, dizziness and shortness of breath.