Definition
A medical condition in which the heart muscle does not receive enough oxygen-rich blood, typically due to narrowed coronary arteries, producing chest pain or pressure that is often triggered by exertion, stress, or cold air and relieved by rest or medication.
Plain English
Chest pain caused by the heart not getting enough blood flow. It is a warning sign of heart disease, not a heart attack itself, but it points to the same underlying problem.
Context Anchor
Seen in FAA medical certificate discussions, especially when reviewing heart conditions that may affect a pilot's eligibility to fly.
Derivation
From Latin angina meaning 'a choking or strangling' and pectoris meaning 'of the chest.' The name reflects how patients describe the sensation — a tight, squeezing, choking feeling in the chest.
Why Pilots Care
A history of angina pectoris usually disqualifies an applicant from holding most classes of FAA medical certificate due to the risk of sudden incapacitation in flight.
Grounding Statement
If the heart is not getting enough blood during stress or activity, the warning may feel like pressure, tightness, or pain in the chest.
Intuition Check
Angina pectoris is not just ordinary soreness in the chest. It specifically points to chest discomfort that may come from reduced blood flow to the heart.
Example Sentence 1
The applicant reported episodes of angina pectoris during exertion, which required deferral of his medical certificate pending cardiac evaluation.
Example Sentence 2
Any applicant with known angina pectoris must provide full cardiac evaluation results before certification can be considered.