angina pectoris

[pek-tuh-ris]

noun

Pathology.

1. a syndrome characterized by paroxysmal, constricting pain below the sternum, most easily precipitated by exertion or excitement and caused by ischemia of the heart muscle, usually due to a coronary artery disease, as arteriosclerosis.

angina pectoris

1. Episodic constricting chest pain, often radiating to the left shoulder and down the left arm, caused by an insufficient supply of blood to the heart. Coronary artery disease is a common cause of angina pectoris.

angina pectoris

1. Severe chest pains caused by an insufficient supply of blood to the heart.

Word History and Origins

Origin of angina pectoris¹

1760–70; < New Latin: angina of the chest

Related Words

• cardiovascular disease www.thesaurus.com
• congestive heart failure