Question Title: Atypical Angina

Dear Doctors at CCHC,
Is there such a thing as atypical agina? That is, chest angina that occurs only at rest and never while jogging or exercising. If so, would the results of a thallium stress test be effected by this condition?
Thanks - M

Dear M

Angina is caused by insufficient blood supply to the heart muscle. This is typically caused by atherosclerotic narrowing of the coronary arteries, or much less frequently, by coronary artery spasm. Atypical angina refers to symptoms of chest pain that do not really sound to the doctor like they are caused by the heart. Atypical angina is much less frequently associated with coronary artery disease than is typical angina. If you have so-called atypical angina, this would not affect the results of a thallium stress test. In fact, a thallium stress test is often useful in patients with atypical angina to help figure out if their chest pains really are due to coronary artery disease.

I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.

Information provided here is for general purposes only. Specific questions should be addressed to your own doctor. If you would like to make an appointment at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please call 1-800-CCF-CARE or inquire online by using the Heart Center website at www.ccf.org/heartcenter. The Heart Center website contains a directory of the cardiology staff that can be used to select the physician best suited to address your cardiac problem.