ABSTRACT
Chest pains characterized by intense pressure, heaviness, tightness, and pressure radiating to the neck, jaw, and left arm have been linked to cardiac disease since Heberden’s original description of this syndrome, known as angina pectoris (AP), more than 200 years ago. Through the evaluation of autopsy results of patients with such complaints, Parry (1799) established an association between AP and “ossification” of the coronary arteries. Subsequent epidemiological and angiographic studies have shown that coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common underlying cause of AP (Chaitman et al., 1981; Diamond & Forrester, 1979).
