CardiovascularPending review

Stable Angina

A fixed atherosclerotic narrowing limits how much extra blood flow a coronary artery can deliver, so it cannot meet the higher oxygen demand of exertion, producing predictable, reproducible chest pain that resolves once demand falls back within the fixed supply ceiling.

In a nutshell

A fixed, intact-cap atherosclerotic stenosis limits maximum coronary flow, so exertion (which raises myocardial oxygen demand) outstrips the fixed supply ceiling and produces reproducible, exertional pain relieved quickly by rest or GTN, both of which restore the supply-demand balance.

Classic presentation

A patient with cardiovascular risk factors develops central chest tightness on exertion at a consistent threshold, relieved within minutes by rest or GTN, with no pain at rest.

Key points

Pain is reproducible at a consistent exertional threshold because the stenosis is fixed: this predictability is the key discriminator from ACS.

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Educational content pending clinical review. Not medical advice.