Angina Pectoris

Table of Contents

Summary

Angina pectoris occurs when heart tissue needs more blood than it is getting. L-carnitine and coenzyme Q10 have important roles in energy utilization inside our cells, and supplementation with these nutrients (under medical supervision) might improve exercise tolerance and reduce signs of ischemia in patients with stable angina.

 

Condition Overview

Angina pectoris is the medical term for chest pain or discomfort that occurs when blood supply is insufficient to meet the needs of the heart muscle. It generally results from narrowing of the arteries that supply blood to the heart due to coronary heart disease. Angina pectoris occurs when the heart must work harder, such as during physical exertion or emotional stress.

See below for specific information about nutrients and dietary factors relevant to angina pectoris.

 

Nutrition Research

L-Carnitine
 

What it does
General
  • L-carnitine is a compound that can be made inside the body and obtained from food and dietary supplements. It is considered a conditionally essential nutrient because in some situations, the body’s demand for L-carnitine exceeds its capacity to make it.
  • L-carnitine helps the body convert fat into useable energy.
Angina-specific
  • Supplemental L-carnitine and propionyl-L-carnitine, administered in conjunction with standard pharmacological therapy, may improve cardiac and skeletal muscle function during ischemia.
  • Propionyl-L-carnitine in particular may benefit ischemic tissue by replenishing intermediates of energy metabolism or by increasing blood vessel dilation (widening).
What we know
  • The addition of oral L-carnitine or propionyl-L-carnitine to pharmacologic therapy for chronic stable angina has been found to modestly improve exercise tolerance and decrease signs of ischemia during exercise testing in studies with a small number of angina patients.

For references and more information, see the section on angina pectoris in the L-carnitine article.

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Coenzyme Q10
 

What it does
General
  • Coenzyme Q10 is a compound that can be made in the body and obtained from dietary sources.
  • Coenzyme Q10 helps the body convert food into useable energy and functions as an antioxidant in cell membranes.
Angina-specific
  • Coenzyme Q10 may delay or reduce symptoms of angina by enabling heart tissue to reach higher levels of ATP (cellular energy) production and by protecting against oxidative stress.
What we know
  • Coenzyme Q10 supplementation in conjunction with standard medical therapy has been shown to improve exercise tolerance and reduce symptoms of ischemia in patients with chronic, stable angina. 
  • However, the majority of studies demonstrate no effect of coenzyme Q10 on symptom frequency or the need for nitroglycerin.

For references and more information, see the section on angina pectoris in the Coenzyme Q10 article.

Definitions
Antioxidant - a compound that prevents or repairs the damage caused by reactive oxygen species
Ischemia - inadequate blood supply to an organ or part of the body
Oxidative stress - a situation in which the production of reactive oxygen species exceeds the ability of an organism to eliminate or neutralize them
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) - highly unstable oxygen-containing compounds that react easily with nearby cellular structures, potentially causing damage
Stable angina - another term for angina pectoris

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Authors and Reviewers

Originally written in May 2015 year by:
Giana Angelo, Ph.D.
Linus Pauling Institute
Oregon State University

Reviewed in September 2015 by:
John F. Keaney, Jr., M.D.
Medical Director, Heart and Vascular Center of Excellence
Chief, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine
University of Massachusetts Medical School and Memorial Medical Center
Mary C. DeFeudis Professor of Biomedical Research
University of Massachusetts Medical School

Copyright 2015-2025  Linus Pauling Institute

Related Condition

Coronary Heart Disease

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