VARIANT FORM OF ANGINA-PECTORIS - ITS CLINICAL-FEATURES AND TREATMENT - 185TH GUERRERO,LUIS MEMORIAL LECTURE GIVEN AT THE 6TH WHITE,PAUL,DUDLEY SESSION, UNIVERSITY-OF-SANTO-TOMAS, MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES, JANUARY 24, 1979

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • editorial
    • Vol. 21  (1) , 131-139
Abstract
The variant form of angina pectoris (VA) is a common disease in Japan. Among 100 successive cases of various types of angina seen, excluding myocardial infarction and post-infarctional angina, 23 cases were VA. The brief duration, cyclic occurrence and frequent incidence of the attacks at night are the clinical characteristics. The pathogenesis of VA is ascribed to coronary spasm based on cinecoronary arteriography. ST elevation was observed more frequently on exercise test in VA than in ordinary exertional angina pectoris, indicating that patients with VA are in a markedly spasmophilic state. Although the prognosis is not generally so serious, 33 of 50 cases of VA had arrhythmias during attacks, including such serious ones as advanced AV [atrioventricular] block and ventricular fibrillation. Nifedipine was dramatically effective in suppressing repeatedly occurring ventricular fibrillation. A survey of the effects of Ca antagonists in 243 cases of VA in 11 cardiology institutes throughout Japan revealed that the drugs were effective in > 90% of the cases. The attacks were completely eliminated in more than 80% of the cases.

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