Case history
Case history #1
A 65-year-old man, who smokes and has a history of hypertension and peripheral vascular disease, now presents with increasing frequency and severity of chest discomfort over the past week. He reports previously having chest pain after walking 3 blocks but now is unable to walk more than half a block without developing symptoms. The pain radiates to the left side of the neck and is only eased after increasing periods of rest.
Case history #2
A 45-year-old woman, with a history of type 1 diabetes diagnosed when she was a teenager, presents to the emergency department complaining of abdominal pain, nausea, and shortness of breath that woke her up from sleep.
Other presentations
Unstable angina may present without chest pain or with "chest pain-equivalent" or noncharacteristic symptoms, especially in older populations, female patients, or in the presence of diabetes, dementia, and renal failure.[1][3][4] Noncharacteristic symptoms include dyspnea, epigastric pain, indigestion, dizziness, syncope (usually related to severe pain), sweating, and weakness.[1]
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