What is endothelial cell dysfunction?

Endothelial cells are the flat cells that line the insides of blood vessels. When endothelial cells become dysfunctional, they can tell the artery to contract when it should be relaxing. This can make the artery spasm. Many of the things that cause atherosclerosis -- smoking, diabetes, lack of exercise, hypertension, and high cholesterol -- are the same things that cause endothelial dysfunction. Even passive smoke inhalation can cause it.

If your doctor has told you that you have endothelial dysfunction, it is likely that you have already had an angiogram to exclude the possibility that your chest pain is due to a major blockage of one or more coronary arteries. (If not, it might be worth asking your doctor about this test.) In that case, your first step to reducing your attacks is avoiding any of the factors that can prompt the coronary arteries to spasm. This includes all of the coronary risk factors that one can attack, like blood pressure and cholesterol. It especially includes smoking, and even breathing secondhand smoke.