Angina and oxygen level

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  : : Hi, I'm a 40 year old female. I have been told I have angina and I take nitro pills when I have chest pain. I also have emphysema and asthma. My doctor recently sent home an oximeter to record my oxygen level over night. It went to 83 and stayed in the low/mid 80's most of the night. My lowest heart rate was 40, the highest was 157. I was sent for a sleep study and it showed that I had sleep apnea. My oxygen level fell as soon as I laid down before I fell asleep so I don't think the sleep apnea is the only reason for it. I asked my doctor about treatment and he said none was needed, I should just lose weight. I'm concerned because I have read that low oxygen levels are hard on your heart. Since I already have angina/ischima (the doctor has called it both, are they the same thing?) couldn't the low oxygen level hurt my heart more, could it be why I have chest pains in the first place? Would you recommend any treatment for a patient with low oxygen levels and angina? Thanks,
  : : Tina
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[CCF CARDIO MD DLB]

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Dear Tina
If you have sleep apnea and low oxygen levels, it should be treated with an oxygen mask at night.
If you are having chest pain relieved by nitroglycerin and have a Thallium test showing ischemia, 9 out of 10 cardiologists in the USA would recommend a cardiac catheterization. Was this considered?
Bradycardia refers to a heart rate less than 60 beats per minute; tachycardia refers to greater than 100 beats per minute. Both can be normal or abnormal depending on the circumstance.
I hope this has been useful. I wish you the best of luck. Feel free to write back.
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.