Angina with No Blockage

Experts at NYU Langone Heart specialize in diagnosing and treating angina, meaning chest discomfort, that is not caused by a blockage—a condition also known as ischemia with no obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA). Typical angina is caused by severe narrowing of the coronary arteries by cholesterol plaque. This leads to imbalance between the heart’s need for blood flow and the amount of blood the arteries can provide, or ischemia. In angina with no blockage, the arteries may have some plaque, but not enough to severely block them, or even no plaque at all.

Angina with no blockage, which disproportionately affects women, can impact patients for years before a definitive diagnosis is made. Many patients diagnosed with angina with no blockage may have been falsely reassured that nothing is wrong based on a history of abnormal cardiac stress tests followed by coronary angiograms that did not reveal significant blockages.

NYU Langone cardiologists use advanced diagnostic tools, some of which are offered by only a few other care centers, for timely and precise diagnosis. Then we tailor treatment to address the underlying cause of the angina with no blockage using personalized approaches, including appropriate medications and lifestyle changes like diet and exercise. Our goal is to identify a specific diagnosis so we can effectively treat symptoms and reduce the risk of future heart events for each patient.