Dancing Won't Un-Break Toni Braxton's Heart

Sept. 24, 2008 — -- Toni Braxton looked sexy and fluid Monday, dancing the cha-cha with her partner Alec Mazo on the season premiere of the reality dance competition "Dancing With the Stars," and the judges praised her lively quickstep on Tuesday.

But competing in the show's seventh season may be more of a challenge for the six-time Grammy winner than for her competitors.

Earlier this year, Braxton, 40, was diagnosed with microvascular angina, a disease where tiny blood vessels bringing blood to the heart become blocked.

Although cardiologists caution that the disease can lead to an increased risk of heart attack, microvascular angina is not so serious that a healthy, conscientious person cannot participate in rigorous activity like that of a dance competition.

"Generally, exercise is recommended by us cardiologists," said Dr. Christopher Cannon, a cardiologist and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. "Dancing is a good way to exercise. With angina, one has to gauge the amount of exercise and what level of exercise brings out any chest pain."

On the spectrum of cardiac diseases, microvascular angina is one of the less serious illnesses, doctors say, but it is among the more difficult to diagnose. This is because blockages occur in the tiny blood vessels around the heart rather than in the major arteries, making them hard to see.

"Generally, the prognosis is very good in that there aren't major problems seen with the heart," Cannon said. "It becomes more of a symptoms problem than one where you have to worry about death or heart attack."

Even if Braxton were to experience symptoms on the show, they may not be dramatic.

Cannon said this type of angina can feel like a bad stomachache, with some pressure and discomfort in the chest.

Some treatments, including nitroglycerine, calcium channel blockers and ACE inhibitors can help dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to the heart.

In addition, lifestyle changes to help control levels of cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar, refraining from smoking and exercise will promote heart health.