Angina Causes & Risks

Causes

Angina is usually a sign of coronary artery disease (CAD). It occurs when the blood vessels leading to the heart are blocked. The blockage decreases the blood and oxygen flow to the heart muscle. When the heart muscle is deprived of oxygen you will feel chest pain and other symptoms.

Coronary Artery Disease

Stable or Unstable Angina

Angina occurs when your heart's need for blood and oxygen is increased by:

Exercise, exertion
Cold weather
A large meal
Emotional stress

Stable angina becomes unstable when symptoms:

Occur more often
Last longer
Are triggered more easily

Variant or Prinzmetal's Angina

This type of angina is usually caused by a spasm of a heart vessel. It may indicate that you have one of the following conditions:

CAD
Extremely high blood pressure
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Diseases of the heart valves

Risk Factors

Major risk factors for CAD include the following:

Gender: male
Advancing age
Strong family history of heart disease
Obesity and overweight
Smoking
High blood pressure
Sedentary lifestyle
High blood cholesterol (specifically, high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol)
Diabetes

Other risk factors for CAD:

Stress
Excessive alcohol intake

Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Copyright © 2026 EBSCO Publishing All rights reserved.