PEBC Cardiology Practice Test

Stable angina arises from a fixed narrowing of a coronary artery that limits blood flow when the heart’s demand increases, such as during exercise. Because the obstruction doesn’t change acutely, the chest pain is predictable and reproducible with exertion. The discomfort is typically brief, often a few minutes, and is relieved by rest or nitroglycerin, which lowers myocardial oxygen demand and can improve blood supply. This combination—exertion-related, predictable symptoms that respond to nitro—is the hallmark feature of stable angina. In contrast, chest pain at rest points to unstable angina or a vasospastic variant, relief without nitroglycerin is unusual in true stable angina, and pain persisting beyond about 20 minutes raises concern for an acute coronary syndrome.