52 year old female and just been diagnosed with angina! WTF??

[HeartScare]

I thought it was an older man thing?

Anyway, been suffering palpitations and breathlessness for several months. Feeling of pressure in my chest. Saw a consultant and he seemed pretty sure that it is angina. No family history, never smoked, I'm on HRT, but I do have very high cholesterol and I'm overweight. Can it really be angina or are there any other sensible possibilities? I need a scan to confirm but that's months away

My Nan was diagnosed with angina young and had a heart bypass on her 50th birthday. She was otherwise pretty fit and healthy, or so she thought. It happens. It's manageable. She's 79 now and has a variety of unrelated health issues but her angina is under control.

If a cardiac consultant who has run a number of tests and has examined you thoroughly is pretty sure it's angina, then I think their view outweighs the view of a random bunch of mumsnetters who don't know you at all. What have you been told about angina?

Any chance it could be anxiety / panic? Or is that totally different? I had all of those symptoms with panic.

@Purplewithred So the diagnosis was made by a specialist nurse based on a verbal explanation of my symptoms. I have had no tests and I am waiting on the scan, therefore. Why so snotty? I can be worried and ask for opinions/advice/experiences, can't I? Isn't that the whole point of online forums?

Pressure in the chest is a pretty classic sign of angina as is breathlessness. And you've got a couple of risk factors - raised cholesterol and being overweight. It is more common in men and in older people,
but women and younger people do get angina.

We often provisionally diagnose people with angina before referring on to cardiology. Occasionally, scans or other tests (people used to have exercise tolerance tests but they seem much less common now) show no evidence of angina but I can think of only one of my own patients off the top of my head whose history suggested angina but whose tests didn't confirm it.

Have they started you on treatment whilst you await your scans?

@MagnoliaXYZ Ok that's interesting. Yes, I'm now on statins, blood pressure meds and an oral spray. I'm in denial to be honest, keep thinking it can't be angina, so your reply is food for thought.

I was one of the anomalies. Late 30s, experienced chest pain/pressure snd shortness of breath. Saw GP, had ECG, which showed T wave inversion, but no other abnormalities

Was given ?Angina diagnosis, GTN spray and urgent cardiology referral, full work up, but nothing found whatsoever (except the T wave inversion)
I have high HDL cholesterol, v low LDL, it’s a familial thing. I’ve been fine since 🤞
I hope you’re ok, OP

@WorriedMillie
I had symptoms similar to what you describe, the chest pressure, shortness of breath, I had ecg at gp's which also showed t wave abnormality. I've had bloods and chest X-ray which are all normal and now waiting for cardiology appointment. No one mentioned angina but when I googled it sounds a lot like angina and I know a few family
Members with it. I'm in my late 30's

I'm similar age. Chest discomfort/tightness but not breathless for 2.5 years now, mainly if I 'm stressed or fast walking. Used to run, gym etc, normal cholesterol and weight, but have highish bp (now treated) and family history.
I've had echos, treadmill tests, even ct coronary angiogram and told vessels are squeaky clean, not angina. I've got t wave depression too but apparently normal for me. I'm flummoxed really. But I find it ironic that your doc is taking you seriously, mine not so much. There is a condition called Microvascular angina which affects older women but difficult to diagnose, very similar symptoms but different cause (affects the small vessels rather than the big ones that can be stented). I'm going to push for an MRI tbh to get it ruled out. 50% of ct scans are normal apparently and MVA is actually the diagnosis.

Does the spray relieve your symptoms pretty quickly?
That is usually diagnostic for angina.

It used to be an older man thing because medicine hasn’t been great at diagnosing female heart disease. If you look at modern articles it seems to be more common in women. Which when you consider how awfully GPs treat the symptoms could explain why we are more likely to die from heart attacks

Did you get a confirmed diagnosis @HeartScare? I'm the same age and in the same boat. The pain lasts for seconds - like less than 10 - so I've not used the spray yet.

I've had an echo and a CT scan and am just waiting to be reviewed with those results to give me a definitive diagnosis. I find the attacks ( which are maybe once a month) scary.

How weird reading this today as I’ve had these exact symptoms for the last two weeks. Not sure I’ll get a GP appointment but I’ll give it a go.

@hopeishere It turned out not to be angina...in fact the symptoms I had - palpitations and breathlessness - can be caused by anaemia it turns out. After taking an iron supplement for several months both symptoms cleared completely. I didnt have pain as a symptom though - more a feeling of tightness, but then I am asthmatic so that could explain that.
I hope you get some answers soon. In the meantime, why not try the spray? If it helps, then that might suggest it is in fact angina. If it doesnt help (which I found) then it may well not be angina. Good luck with it all.

Thanks. The pain comes and goes so quickly it's very odd! There's not really time to try the spray. But I'll give it a go the next time it happens. And chase my review appointment on Monday!!

My dh was diagnosed with angina at 45. His is due to high cholesterol which is a genetic thing and not his diet, his body just turns all foods into cholesterol. He had to have some stents fitted which helped enormously and after years of statins he know has an injection every 6 months of Inclicirin.

Oh, didn't realise it was an old thread. Glad you were diagnosed and it wasn't angina