Chest pain should not be dismissed in young, fit patients because it could be a symptom of spontaneous coronary artery dissection, which often affects otherwise healthy individuals, a new study says. Women appear to have a greater risk of developing the condition than do men, said Rajiv Gulati, MD, PhD, lead author of the study published online July 16 in Circulation… “SCAD is not related to plaque buildup that more commonly causes coronary blockages. It’s a completely different disease process,” said Dr. Gulati, associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

American Medical News by Christine Moyer

Tags: American Medical News, Cardiology, Dr. Rajiv Gulati, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Research, SCAD, Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection