[Physiopathology of angina pectoris]

The concept of blood flow limited fixed coronary artery stenosis holds true for most of the patients with stable, e.g. exercise-dependent angina pectoris. In this condition exists a disproportion between oxygen demand and oxygen consumption. On the other hand the unstable angina pectoris (angina pectoris at rest) is explained by a variable transient reduction of oxygen supply due to vasoconstriction ("dynamic stenosis"). In addition to the fixed stenosis and vasoconstriction the rheological behaviour plays a further role in the pathogenesis.