Bronchial asthma causing symptoms suggestive of angina pectoris

Abstract

Many patients undergoing pharmacological stress echocardiography for assessing symptoms suggestive of coronary artery disease are found to have a normal test. This study was performed to evaluate whether asthma symptoms simulate angina pectoris.A total 41 consecutive patients who had a negative pharmacological stress echocardiography and had been evaluated for angina pectoris were studied. Patients with previously known coronary artery disease or obstructive lung disease were excluded. Lung function testing was performed and the authors proceeded either with the administration of a bronchodilator or with methacholine challenge testing. A questionnaire was applied to assess the symptoms dyspnoea, chest tightness and substernal burning at the end of the challenge test. In addition, patients were asked if they were experiencing those symptoms that made them seek medical attention. From the 41 patients tested, 26 patients showed a significant bronchial hyperreactivity (mean ¡ SD provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in the forced expiratory volume in one second 5.93¡4.50 mg?mL -1 ). A total of 20 patients confirmed having those symptoms that led to cardiac evaluation.It was concluded that symptoms suggestive of angina pectoris might represent bronchial asthma. This should be considered in the differential diagnosis of angina pectoris.

Rose angina predicts 23-year coronary heart disease mortality in women and men aged 40-49 years

“…Later it has been confirmed that Rose angina may represent bronchial asthma 18. Rose angina was linked with lung symptoms and increased mortality from pulmonary disease in our cohort, although the absolute mortality from this cause was modest.…”

Ethnic difference in the prevalence of angina pectoris in Sami and non-Sami populations: the SAMINOR study

“…Chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, pulmonary disease and symptoms, depression, anxiety and non-cardiac pain may be reasons for positive RAQ outcomes (22–25). Nevertheless, Graff-Iversen et al (24) found that a 3-item version of the RAQ predicted mortality from ischaemic heart disease (IHD) in Norwegian women and men aged 40–49 years.…”

Long-term cardiovascular consequences of Rose angina at age 20–54 years: 29-years’ follow-up of the Tromsø Study

“…Geoffrey Rose noted that the diagnosis of angina presents special problems in populations with a high prevalence of chronic bronchitis,1 and overlap has also been found with asthma 20. In a cross-sectional survey data of men (n=30 658) and women (n=35 733) aged 40–42 years, we found that Rose angina was associated with asthma, anxiousness, depressive complaints, musculoskeletal pain and overweight,21 indicating confounding factors that are hard to fully account for.…”