OBJECTIVES Refractory angina patients suffer debilitating chest pain despite optimal medical therapy and previous cardiovascular intervention. Cardiac rehabilitation is often not prescribed due to a lack of evidence regarding potential efficacy and patient suitability. A randomised controlled study was undertaken to explore the impact of cardiac rehabilitation on cardiovascular risk factors, ph...

OBJECTIVE To discriminate between chronic inflammation and acute activation of the plaque immune response in culprit lesions of patients with acute coronary syndromes. DESIGN Retrospective study. SETTING Tertiary referral centre. SUBJECTS 71 patients having coronary atherectomy were classified according to their ischaemic syndrome: stable angina (n = 23); stabilised unstable angina (n = 1...

INTRODUCTION As more patients survive coronary events, the prevalence of patients with refractory angina pectoris is increasing. The aim was to evaluate the effects of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) and spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and compare with optimal medically treated patients with refractory angina. METHODS 153 patients with refractory angina were treated with either EECP, ...

We describe a case of Prinzmetal’s angina that is refractory to medical therapy but responded fully after percutaneous coronary intervention. This case shows that there is a role for percutaneous coronary intervention in refractory variant angina as long as a culprit lesion within the vasospastic segment can be identified.

BACKGROUND Patients with refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coronary artery disease represent a severe condition with a higher reduction of life-expectancy and quality of life as compared to patients with stable coronary artery disease. It was the purpose of this study to invasively re-evaluate highly symptomatic patients with formerly diagnosed refractory angina pectoris in end-stage coro...

BACKGROUND Enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) is a non-invasive treatment option for patients with refractory angina pectoris ineligible to further traditional treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of EECP on patients at a Scandinavian medical centre and to investigate if outcome can be predicted by analysing baseline factors. METHODS 86 consecutive patients (70 ...

An increasing number of patients have advanced coronary artery disease with ischemic symptoms that are refractory to medical therapy and revascularization. With the increasing adoption of percutaneous revascularization of chronic total occlusions, previously nonrevascularizable vessels may now be targets for revascularization, which may change the landscape of refractory angina. Several nonphar...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of transmyocardial revascularization performed on patients with refractory class IV or unstable angina with a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. METHODS Transmyocardial revascularization with a holmium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser was performed in 42 patients with refractory angina who were not candidates for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplas...