Microvascular angina is defined by chest pain lasting at least how long?

• A. 5 minutes
• B. 15 minutes or more
• C. 30 minutes
• D. 10 minutes or more

Answer: (D)

Chest pain duration is the factor being tested here: microvascular angina is defined by episodes of ischemia that last at least ten minutes. This longer duration helps distinguish true ischemic chest discomfort from brief, noncardiac chest pain and aligns with the pattern of ischemia seen when the small coronary vessels don’t dilate properly, even though the major arteries look normal. Shorter durations, like five minutes, can occur with nonischemic or less specific discomfort, while much longer durations (such as 15 or 30 minutes) aren’t the criterion used here. The threshold of ten minutes captures clinically meaningful ischemic episodes typical of microvascular angina.