Such patient's usually have symptoms that are provoked by specific level of exercise. It is generally brief, lasts only 2-3 minutes and subsides promptly with cessation of exercise or following the use of a nitroglycerin tablet. This pattern of pain is known as stable angina . For example, the pain may be confined to left shoulder, throat, jaw or bewteen the shoulder blades. Such patients are said to have a defective warning system .
Diabetic patients are more prone to have atypical or no symptoms.
Because there are several causes of chest pain that are unrelated to the heart, many patients tend to ignore their symptoms attributing it to heart burn, mitral valve prolapse, a gall bladder attack, muscle sprain, etc. If you have risk factors for coronary artery disease and are having unsual symptoms suggestive of angina or a heart attack, make sure that you consult your doctor about your complaints.