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Angina - what to ask your doctor

What to ask your doctor about angina and heart disease; Coronary artery disease - what to ask your doctor

Angina is pain, pressure, or other sensation in the chest that happens when your heart muscle is not getting enough blood and oxygen.

You sometimes feel it in your neck or jaw. Sometimes you may notice only that your breath is short.

Below are some questions you may want to ask your health care provider to help you take care of your angina.

Questions

What are the signs and symptoms that I am having angina? Will I always have the same symptoms?

• What are the activities that can cause me to have angina?
• How should I treat my chest pain, or angina, when it happens?
• When should I call my provider?
• When should I call 911 or the local emergency number?

How much exercise or activity can I do?

• Do I need to have a stress test first?
• Is it safe for me to exercise on my own?
• Where should I exercise, inside or outside? Which activities are better to start with? Are there activities or exercises that are not safe for me?
• How long and how hard can I exercise?

When can I return to work? Are there limits to what I can do at work?

What should I do if I feel sad or very worried about my heart disease?

How can I change the way I live to make my heart stronger?

• What is a heart-healthy diet? Is it OK to ever eat something that is not heart healthy? What are some ways to eat healthy when I go to a restaurant?
• Is it OK to drink any alcohol?
• Is it OK to be around other people who are smoking?
• Is my blood pressure normal?
• What is my cholesterol and do I need to take medicines for it?

Is it OK to be sexually active? Is it safe to use sildenafil (Viagra), vardenafil (Levitra), or tadalafil (Cialis)?

What medicines am I taking to treat or prevent angina?

• Do they have any side effects?
• What should I do if I miss a dose?
• Is it ever safe to stop any of these medicines on my own?

If I am taking aspirin, clopidogrel (Plavix), ticagrelor (Brilinta), prasugrel (Effient), or another blood thinner, is it OK to take ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), or other pain medicines?

It is OK to take omeprazole (Prilosec) or other medicines for heartburn?

Related Information

Coronary artery spasm
Stable angina
Unstable angina
Tips on how to quit smoking
Heart bypass surgery
Angioplasty and stent placement - carotid artery
Chest pain
Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive
Heart pacemaker
Angina - when you have chest pain
Angina - discharge
Angioplasty and stent - heart - discharge
Aspirin and heart disease
Being active when you have heart disease
Cardiac catheterization - discharge
Cholesterol and lifestyle
Heart bypass surgery - discharge
Heart bypass surgery - minimally invasive - discharge
Cholesterol - drug treatment

References

Bonaca MP, Sabatine MS. Approach to the patient with chest pain. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 35.

Lawton J, Tamis-Holland J, et al. 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI Guideline for coronary artery revascularization: A report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;79(2):e21-e129. PMID: 34895950 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34895950/.

Morrow DA, de Lemos JA. Stable ischemic heart disease. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 40.

Virani SS, Newby LK, Arnold SV, et al. 2023 AHA/ACC/ACCP/ASPC/NLA/PCNA guideline for the management of patients with chronic coronary disease: a report of the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2023;148(9):e9-e119. PMID: 37471501 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37471501/.

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Review Date: 7/14/2024  

Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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