OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology, impact, pathogenesis, patient presentation, and treatment of stable angina, including the use of vasculoprotective and antianginal drug therapies and coronary revascularization procedures. SUMMARY: Stable angina is an age-related condition that typically affects men at an earlier age than women, adversely affects quality of life, and increases mortality....

BACKGROUND Platelet aggregation is a dominant feature in the pathophysiology of unstable angina. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) in patients with this disorder carries an increased risk of thrombotic complications. Abciximab (c7E3) blocks the platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor, thus preventing platelet adhesion and aggregation. The CAPTURE study was a randomised place...

B ecause the mortality for ischemic heart disease has improved, an increasing number of patients exhaust their revascularization options and are left with refractory angina. Previous studies suggested that up to 15% of patients undergoing catheterization are suboptimal candidates for further revas-cularization. 4 This number may be growing because a recent analysis from the Duke Databank for Ca...

Over recent decades, the numerous coronary revascularisation procedures performed either by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), or coronary bypass surgery has led to an increasing number of patients who are no longer eligible for additional revascularisation procedures. This number of patients is expected to rise even further in view of an increase in life expectancy in patients with coro...

It has been shown that the incidence of vasospastic angina pectoris is more frequent in Japanese people than in Caucasians, and calcium channel blockers and/or nitrates were effective in these patients [1]. Conversely, it has been claimed that about 20% of cases are not treated effectively with combined administration of calcium channel blocker and nitrate [2]. In refractory cases, it has been ...

OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis that TMLR combined with intramyocardial injection of BMC is safe, and may help increase the functional capacity of patient with refractory angina. METHODS Nine patients (eight men), 65+/-5 years old, with refractory angina for multivessel disease and previous myocardial revascularization procedures (CABG/PCI), not candidates for another procedure due to the ...

Despite large gains in the medical and surgical treatment of angina pectoris in the past two decades, many patients are refractory to conventional medical therapy and are unsuitable for a first or, more commonly, repeat coronary revascularization procedure. We evaluated the efficacy of perhexiline maleate, a drug with an antianginal mechanism of action in humans that is as yet unknown, by using...

Sixty-nine patients over age 35 with severe valvular aortic stenosis were investigated for concomitant coronary artery disease. Forty (57.9%) had clinical angina pectoris. Sixteen (23.2%) had significant coronary occlusive disease by arteriography. Of those with angina, 13 patients (32.5) had significant coronary arterial obstruction, while in the pain-free group only (10.3%) had occlusive coro...