Plain English Meaning
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.
Full 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.
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.