Cocaine use and cigarette smoking can cause severe spasm of the arteries, and can cause
the heart to work harder. In many people, coronary artery spasm may occur without any other
heart risk factors (such as smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol).
Treatment of coronary artery spasms may include medications such as nitrates, calcium channel blockers and 1-arginine, which may reduce the risk of recurrence.