Certified Cardiac Rehabilitation Professional (CCRP) Practice Test 2025 - Free CCRP Practice Questions and Study Guide

Vasospastic angina, also known as Prinzmetal's angina, is characterized by episodes of chest pain due to spasm of the coronary arteries. This type of angina can occur at rest, often during nighttime or early morning hours, when the heart is under lower demand but is still susceptible to spasms. The resting state of the body at night may lead to decreased coronary blood flow in susceptible individuals, triggering these painful episodes.

The other types of angina—such as stable angina, which typically occurs during physical exertion or stress, unstable angina, which is more unpredictable and can happen at rest with increasing frequency, and exertional angina, which clearly occurs with exertion—do not specifically have a pattern of worsening pain at night as seen with vasospastic angina. Understanding these distinctions is essential in recognizing the underlying mechanisms and appropriate management strategies for patients experiencing different types of angina.