What is angina?

Scene 1

The GP explains angina to Bryan: Your heart is a muscular pump and you have 3 main heart arteries that go around the heart. This gives the heart the blood supply it needs to do its job and pump the blood around the body. Angina is where one or more of these arteries has become narrowed due to a build up of fat in the wall of the artery and this may be causing the symptoms that you are describing. So the chest discomfort you are having is what we call angina.

Scene 2

GP: What do you think may have caused your angina to develop, Bryan?
BRYAN: Well, it is probably down to stress – I am always rushing here, there and everywhere trying to earn a living and keep the family happy. No wonder I have ended up in hospital.

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GP: I see, it sounds as if you have a very busy lifestyle and have been feeling quite stressed. Most people believe that stress has caused their heart disease. Would it be okay to tell you a bit more about what we know about stress and heart disease?
BRYAN: Okay then.

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GP: The research seems to show that the main way that stress affects heart disease is because of the way we tend to cope when we are under stress i.e. eating less healthily and having no time for exercise.
BRYAN: Well, that is certainly the case, I end up eating takeaways and then flopping on the sofa when I get a minute as I’m so tired.

Scene 5

GP: That is common, it is more difficult to look after yourself when you are so busy. We can discuss any concerns about your diet and exercise a bit more later but would it be okay to do a mental health screen ( eg GAD7 or PHQ9 – mairis work) to look at any possible anxiety or derpessive symptoms that may be affecting your ability to cope and see how high your stress levels are. There are various things we can do to help you cope better with stress.