In the two-part study, Japanese researchers also found that oxidized LDL was higher in the plaques of individuals with unstable angina than those with stable angina. It is considered more dangerous than LDL because it promotes clogging of blood vessels.
Stable angina is chest pain that occurs during exertion.
People with unstable angina experience chest pain even while at rest. It is accepted that inflammation within the plaque plays a key role in destabilizing the lesions, which leads to coronary events such as heart attacks. The first part of the study included 135 patients who had various signs and symptoms of heart attack or angina. The patients with heart attack were studied within 24 hours of the onset of chest pain. Blood samples were taken from all patients when they were admitted to the hospital.