CORONARY MICROVASCULAR DISEASE

Chest pain, breathlessness, unusual fatigue, or reduced exercise tolerance can be frightening—especially when standard heart tests show no major coronary blockage.
CORONARY MICROVASCULAR DISEASE: HEART HEALTH IN WOMEN is a practical, patient-centered guide to understanding a form of heart disease that affects the small blood vessels supplying the heart muscle and can be especially important in women.
Written in clear, accessible language, this book explains the connection between coronary microvascular disease, microvascular angina, ANOCA, and INOCA while helping readers understand why symptoms may persist even when a traditional angiogram appears reassuring.
Inside, you will explore:
• How the coronary microcirculation works and what can go wrong
• Symptoms and warning signs women should understand
• Why coronary microvascular disease may be overlooked or difficult to diagnose
• Hormones, menopause, pregnancy history, and cardiovascular risk
• Standard and advanced heart tests, including PET, stress CMR, coronary flow reserve, and invasive coronary function testing
• The differences between CMD, vasospastic angina, MINOCA, SCAD, Takotsubo syndrome, and other conditions
• Medications commonly considered in individualized treatment plans
• Heart-supportive nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and cardiac rehabilitation
• Strategies for preparing for cardiology appointments and becoming an informed partner in your care
• Long-term heart-health planning and recognizing when changing symptoms deserve medical attention
The book also includes 30 practical tools and worksheets, including symptom and trigger trackers, medication records, blood-pressure logs, diagnostic-test records, appointment-preparation sheets, menopause and reproductive-history records, heart-health planning tools, and a personal emergency information card.
Whether you are newly diagnosed, investigating persistent symptoms, supporting a loved one, or simply trying to better understand women’s coronary health, this guide provides an organized path through the terminology, testing, treatment discussions, and everyday decisions surrounding coronary microvascular disease.
Understand what your symptoms may be telling you. Learn what the tests mean. Become a more informed participant in your long-term heart care.