Angina could signal heart muscle disorder, cardiologist warns

Cardiologist Dr Febtusia Puspitasari has stated that angina pectoris, commonly referred to in Indonesia as ‘angin duduk’, carries the risk of signalling a disorder of the heart muscle. Angina pectoris is a condition where the heart muscle does not receive an adequate supply of blood and oxygen, despite the heart requiring a good supply of oxygen and nutrients from the coronary arteries to survive and function. “If the blood vessels are blocked, it means part of the heart muscle does not get a complete oxygen supply. When deprived, that muscle will cry out, which is why angina occurs, resulting in pain,” Dr Febtusia said during a discussion in Jakarta on Tuesday. The physician, affiliated with the Indonesian Heart Association (PERKI), explained that angina pectoris manifests as chest pain that feels like a heavy weight pressing down, causing significant discomfort. The term angina derives from the Ancient Greek word for strangling or narrowing, whilst pectoris refers to the chest. Meanwhile, the local term ‘angin duduk’ likely emerged because angina sufferers tend to seek a sitting position to alleviate discomfort and improve breathing. “When someone experiences angina, they usually find it difficult to lie down comfortably or breathe easily. They try to sit up and adjust their position, which is probably how the term ‘angin duduk’ originated,” she noted. Dr Febtusia pointed out that high levels of bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and hypertension are risk factors that trigger angina pectoris. She likened blood vessels to a neatly arranged brick wall; when gaps or damage occur, various substances such as fats can easily attach and accumulate. “Blood pressure that the body can compensate for well is 130/80. If it is higher, the blood vessel walls begin to suffer dysfunction from the constituent cells; the wall gets chipped, providing the bad cholesterol with a place to settle. A fatty streak begins to form,” she remarked. Additionally, diabetes poses a risk for angina pectoris as high blood sugar can damage arteries, whilst smoking also contributes to the deterioration of blood vessel quality. The habit of smoking disrupts the oxygen supply carried by red blood cells, as these cells become more bound to harmful substances like carbon monoxide and nicotine, thereby reducing their oxygen-carrying capacity. “If someone smokes, the red blood cells do not transport oxygen; instead, they carry carbon monoxide hijacked by nicotine. Consequently, cells that should regenerate are disrupted, and abnormal cells begin to emerge,” she concluded.