Failed Stress Test - Angiogram needed

I have been having mild angina symptoms while walking uphill for over a year now. I went to a private cardiologist this week and received a stress test on a tredmill and a echo cardiogram that seemed to indicate blockage in one of the heart vessels. The cardiologist gave me a prescription for Nitro-tabs and recommended an immediate angiogram to further isolate the problem. The pain usually develops in about 3 minutes of fast uphill walking and occasionally on level ground if I am tired. It's not really a pain, but more of a mild ache in the chest that gets intense if I continue to excercise and subsides quickly if I stand still or sit down for a minute or two.

I have an appointment at the VA hospital Jan 21, the earliest they had, but it will be with a primary care physician. They gave me an emergency number if I have problems before then. I haven't had any further symptoms now that I'm taking it easy and walking slowly and I can usually do 2 or 3 miles on level ground at moderate speed.

I suspect my condition is related to tobacco use although the cardiologist didn't have much time to discuss the subject since the waiting room was full. I smoked for 25 years and then switched to chewing tobacco 15 years ago. I was thinking smokeless tobacco was far less a problem than smoking, but there seems to be some relation of nicotine use and arterial blockage.

Does anyone understand the relationship of smokeless tobacco and arterial blockage?

I don't know anything about the 2 kind of tobacco's but I do understand your problem. My story started almost just like yours. I love to run/jog/walk. Last year while I was jogging I too felt the
"pain" in my chest.It used to appear about 5 minutes into my jog. I used to be able to "work through it", but that soon changed. When it was time to go into the hospital, my body knew it! After a stress test
I went in for my first cath/stent. I have been cursed with a body that produces scar tissue FAST...and alot of it. I had a quad bypass 1.5 months ago and now 2 are completly blocked. I used to smoke also. I smoked for 22 yrs, quitting 11 yrs ago. I know my condition is hereditary in nature........plus some. I wish you much luck and health. I'm searching for an answer for my own hell too. Don't stop looking, till you feel better Please and thanx, Bogie

I am not sure how accurate this information is but my cardiologist told me that nicotine, in any form, causes the blood platlets to become 'tacky' and hence more likely to stick to artery walls and each other thus creating narrowing arteries or blockages. Nicotine is not good. He told me to never do two things again ... smoke or eat fast food. Good luck ..

I'm taking 250mg of asprin twice a day, once in the morning and another about 5PM. I have an appointment at the VA hospital Jan 21, to see a general practioneer who will probably refer the case to another cardiologist. I plan to visit the VA hospital next week and explain the situation in person to see if things can be speeded up. I can go in for emergency treatment but it doesn't appear to be an emergency unless I fake it. I'll try and get the cardiologist to notify the VA of the details so I can get in on emergency basis, or at least he can give me the data he has to take with me. If he thinks it's real urgent, and I tell him I want to go to the VA, maybe he will help out. He just seemed to be too busy to explain all the possibilities, and I didn't want to argue with him.
I hadn't seen him before, and haven't seen any doctors for several years,
I just went directly to a cardiologist based on my own symptoms.