Angina pectoris is
the symptom complex caused by transient myocardial ischaemia and constitutes a
clinical syndrome rather than a disease; it may occur whenever there is an
imbalance between myocardial oxygen supply and demand (Box 18.54). Coronary
atheroma is by far the most common cause of angina; however, the symptom may
also be a manifestation of other forms of heart disease, particularly aortic
valve disease and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. |
This section
describes the features of 'stable' angina pectoris which occurs when coronary
perfusion is impaired by fixed or stable atheroma of the coronary arteries.
|
page 581 |
|
page 582 |
18.54 FACTORS INFLUENCING
MYOCARDIAL OXYGEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND |
Cardiac work
- Heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Myocardial contractility
- Left ventricular hypertrophy
- Valve disease, e.g. aortic stenosis
|
|
|
Oxygen
supply |
Coronary blood flow
- Duration of diastole
- Coronary perfusion pressure (aortic diastolic minus coronary sinus or right
atrial diastolic pressure)
- Coronary vasomotor tone
- Oxygenation
- Haemoglobin
- Oxygen saturation
|
N.B. Coronary blood flow occurs mainly in
diastole.
18.55 ACTIVITIES PRECIPITATING
ANGINA |
- Physical exertion
- Cold exposure
- Heavy meals
- Intense emotion
|
Uncommon
- Lying flat (decubitus angina)
- Vivid dreams (nocturnal angina)
|
The history is by
far the most important factor in making the diagnosis; the features of cardiac
pain and the differential diagnosis of chest pain are discussed on pages
534-539. |
Stable angina is
characterised by central chest pain, discomfort or breathlessness that is
precipitated by exertion or other forms of stress (Box 18.55), and is
promptly relieved by rest (Figs 18.15 and 18.16, pp. 535-536). Some
patients find that the discomfort comes when they start walking, and that later
it does not return despite greater effort ('warm-up angina').
|
Physical
examination is frequently negative, but should include a careful search for
evidence of valve disease (particularly aortic), important risk factors (e.g.
hypertension, diabetes), left ventricular dysfunction (e.g. cardiomegaly, gallop
rhythm), other manifestations of arterial disease (e.g. carotid bruits,
peripheral vascular disease) and unrelated conditions that may exacerbate angina
(e.g. anaemia, thyrotoxicosis). |
The ECG may show
evidence of previous myocardial infarction but is often normal even in patients
with left main or severe three-vessel coronary artery disease. Occasionally,
there is T-wave flattening or inversion in some leads, providing non-specific
evidence of myocardial ischaemia or damage. |
Figure 18.60
Forms of exercise-induced ST depression. Planar ST depression is usually indicative of myocardial
ischaemia. Down-sloping depression also usually indicates myocardial
ischaemia. Up-sloping depression, however, may be a normal
finding. |
18.56 A GUIDE TO RISK
STRATIFICATION IN STABLE ANGINA |
High risk |
Low risk |
Post-infarct angina |
Predictable exertional
angina |
Poor effort
tolerance |
Good effort
tolerance |
Ischaemia at low
workload |
Ischaemia only at high
workload |
Left main or three-vessel
disease |
Single-vessel or minor
two-vessel disease |
Poor LV function |
Good LV
function |
N.B.
Patients may fall between these categories. |
The most
convincing ECG evidence of myocardial ischaemia is obtained by demonstrating
reversible ST segment depression or elevation, with or without T-wave inversion,
at the time the patient is experiencing symptoms (whether spontaneous or induced
by exercise testing). |
An exercise
tolerance test (ETT) is usually performed using a standard treadmill or bicycle
ergometer protocol (p. 528) while monitoring
the patient's ECG, blood pressure and general condition. Planar or down-sloping
ST segment depression of 1 mm or more is indicative of ischaemia (Fig. 18.60); up-sloping ST depression is less specific
and often occurs in normal individuals. |
Exercise testing
can be used to confirm or refute a diagnosis of angina and is also a useful
means of assessing the severity of coronary disease and identifying high-risk
individuals (Box 18.56). For
example, the amount of exercise which can be tolerated and the extent and degree
of any ST segment change (Fig. 18.61) provide a useful guide to the likely extent
of coronary disease. |
Exercise testing
is not infallible and may produce false positive results in the presence of
digoxin therapy, left ventricular hypertrophy, left bundle branch block or
Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The predictive accuracy of exercise testing is
lower in women than men. The test should be classed as inconclusive (and not
negative) if the patient cannot achieve an adequate level of exercise because of
locomotor or other non-cardiac problems. |
Other forms of
stress testing |
Myocardial
perfusion scanning |
page 582 |
|
page 583 |
Figure 18.61 A
positive exercise test. The resting 12-lead ECG shows some minor T-wave
changes in the inferolateral leads but is otherwise normal. After 3 minutes'
exercise on a treadmill there is marked planar ST depression in leads II,
V4 and V5 (right offset). Subsequent coronary angiography
revealed critical three-vessel coronary artery
disease. |
This may be
helpful in the evaluation of patients with an equivocal or uninterpretable
exercise test and those who are unable to exercise; its predictive accuracy is
higher than that of the exercise ECG. The technique involves obtaining
scintiscans of the myocardium at rest and during stress after the administration
of an inravenous radioactive isotope such as 99technetium
tetrofosmin. It may be used in conjunction with conventional exercise testing or
some form of pharmacological stress such as a controlled infusion of dobutamine.
Thallium and tetrofosmin are taken up by viable perfused myocardium. A perfusion
defect present during stress but not rest provides evidence of reversible
myocardial ischaemia (Fig. 18.62), whereas a persistent perfusion defect seen
during both phases of the study is usually indicative of previous myocardial
infarction. |
This is an
alternative to myocardial perfusion scanning and can achieve similar predictive
accuracy (superior to exercise ECG). The technique uses transthoracic
echocardiography to identify ischaemic segments of myocardium and areas of
infarction. The former characteristically exhibit reversible defects in
contractility during exercise or pharmacological stress with a dobutamine
infusion; the latter typically do not contract at rest or during stress.
|
In contrast to the
functional information provided by stress testing, coronary arteriography
provides detailed anatomical information about the extent and nature of coronary
artery disease (Fig. 18.63), and is usually performed with a view to
coronary bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI-p.
586). In some patients, diagnostic coronary angiography may be indicated
when non-invasive tests have failed to elucidate the cause of atypical chest
pain. The procedure is performed under local anaesthesia and requires
specialised radiological equipment, cardiac monitoring and an experienced
operating team. |
The management of
angina pectoris involves:
- a careful assessment of the likely extent and severity of arterial disease
- the identification and control of significant risk factors (e.g. smoking,
hypertension, hyperlipidaemia)
- the use of measures to control symptoms
- the identification of high-risk patients and application of treatments to
improve life expectancy.
|
Symptoms alone are
a poor guide to the extent of coronary artery disease; exercise or
pharmacological stress testing is therefore advisable in all patients who are
potential candidates for revascularisation. An algorithm for the investigation
and treatment of patients with stable angina is shown in Figure 18.64. |
Treatment should
start with a careful explanation of the problem and a discussion of the
potential lifestyle and medical interventions that may relieve symptoms and
improve prognosis (Box 18.57). Anxiety
and misconceptions often contribute to disability; for example, some patients
avoid all forms of exertion because they believe that each attack of angina is a
'mini heart attack' that results in permanent damage. Effective management of
these psychological factors can make a huge difference to the patient's quality
of life. |
page 583 |
|
page 584 |
Figure 18.62 A
technetium scan showing reversible anterior myocardial ischaemia. The images
are cross-sectional tomograms of the left ventricle. The resting scans (right)
show even uptake of technetium and look like doughnuts; during stress (in this
case a dobutamine infusion) there is reduced uptake of technetium, particularly
along the anterior wall (arrows), and the scans look like crescents
(left). |
Figure 18.63
Coronary angiogram from a patient with stable angina. There is severe
stenosis of the left main stem (arrow). |
Figure 18.64 A
scheme for the investigation and treatment of stable angina on effort. (PCI
= percutaneous coronary intervention; CABG = coronary artery bypass
grafting) |
18.57 ADVICE TO PATIENTS WITH
STABLE ANGINA |
- Do not smoke
- Aim at ideal body weight
- Take regular exercise (exercise up to, but not beyond, the point of chest
discomfort is beneficial and may promote collateral vessels)
- Avoid severe unaccustomed exertion, and vigorous exercise after a heavy meal
or in very cold weather
- Take sublingual nitrate before undertaking exertion that may induce angina
|
Low-dose (75-150
mg) aspirin reduces the risk of adverse events such as myocardial infarction and
should be prescribed for all patients with coronary artery disease indefinitely
(Box 18.52). Clopidogrel (75 mg daily) is an equally effective
antiplatelet agent that can be prescribed if aspirin causes troublesome
dyspepsia or other side-effects. |
Anti-anginal drug
treatment |
Four groups of
drugs are used to help relieve or prevent the symptoms of angina: nitrates,
β-blockers, calcium antagonists and potassium channel activators.
|
These drugs act
directly on vascular smooth muscle to produce venous and arteriolar dilatation;
their beneficial effects in angina are due to a reduction in myocardial oxygen
demand (lower preload and afterload) and an increase in myocardial oxygen supply
(coronary vasodilatation). |
page 584 |
|
page 585 |
Sublingual
glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) administered from a metered-dose aerosol (400 μg per
spray) or as a tablet (300 or 500 μg) allowed to dissolve under the tongue or
crunched and retained in the mouth will usually relieve an attack of angina in
2-3 minutes. Unwanted side-effects include headache (which may be more
distressing than the angina), symptomatic hypotension and, rarely, syncope. To
avoid these symptoms the tablet may be spat out as soon as the angina is
relieved. |
Patients often
need to be reassured that GTN is not habit-forming and will not lose its effect
if used repeatedly. They should also be encouraged to use the drug
prophylactically before engaging in exercise that is liable to provoke symptoms.
|
Sublingual GTN has
a short duration of action (Box 18.58); however,
a variety of alternative nitrate preparations can provide a more prolonged
therapeutic effect. GTN can be given transcutaneously as a patch (5-10 mg
daily), or as a slow-release buccal tablet (1-5 mg 6-hourly). GTN is subject to
extensive first-pass metabolism in the liver and is therefore virtually
ineffective when swallowed; however, other nitrates such as isosorbide dinitrate
(10-20 mg 8-hourly) and isosorbide mononitrate (20-60 mg once or twice a day)
can be given by mouth. Headache is common but tends to diminish if the patient
perseveres with the treatment. Continuous nitrate therapy causes pharmacological
tolerance and this should be avoided by using a regimen that includes a
nitrate-free period of 6-8 hours every day. A variety of once-daily proprietary
preparations with a built-in nitrate-free period are available. It is usually
advisable to schedule the medication so that drug levels are low during the
night when the patient is inactive; however, if nocturnal angina is a prominent
symptom, long-acting nitrates can be given at the end of the day instead.
|
18.58 DURATION OF ACTION OF SOME
NITRATE PREPARATIONS |
Preparation |
Peak action |
Duration of action |
Sublingual
GTN |
4-8 mins |
10-30 mins |
Buccal GTN |
4-10 mins |
30-300 mins |
Transdermal
GTN |
1-3 hrs |
Up to 24 hrs |
Oral isosorbide
dinitrate |
45-120 mins |
2-6 hrs |
Oral isosorbide
mononitrate |
45-120 mins |
6-10
hrs |
These drugs lower
myocardial oxygen demand by reducing heart rate, blood pressure and myocardial
contractility. Unfortunately, they can exacerbate the symptoms of peripheral
vascular disease and may provoke bronchospasm in patients with obstructive
airways disease. The properties and side-effects of β-blockers are discussed
above (p. 573). |
In theory,
non-selective β-blockers may aggravate coronary vasospasm by blocking the
coronary artery β2-adrenoceptors and it is usually advisable to use a
once-daily cardioselective preparation (e.g. atenolol 50-100 mg daily,
slow-release metoprolol 50-200 mg daily, bisoprolol 5-10 mg daily).
|
A β-blocking drug
should not be withdrawn abruptly because this may have a rebound effect and
precipitate dangerous arrhythmias, worsening angina or myocardial infarction
(the β-blocker withdrawal syndrome). |
These drugs
inhibit the slow inward current caused by the entry of extracellular calcium
through the cell membrane of excitable cells, particularly cardiac and
arteriolar smooth muscle, and lower myocardial oxygen demand by reducing blood
pressure and myocardial contractility. |
Dihydropyridine
calcium antagonists, such as nifedipine and nicardipine, often cause a reflex
tachycardia; this may be counterproductive and it is often best to use these
drugs in combination with a β-blocker. In contrast, verapamil and diltiazem are
particularly suitable for patients who are not receiving a β-blocker because
they inhibit conduction through the AV node and tend to cause a bradycardia or
even atrioventricular block in susceptible individuals. The calcium antagonists
may reduce myocardial contractility and can aggravate or precipitate heart
failure. Other unwanted effects include peripheral oedema, flushing, headache
and dizziness. |
The dosage and
some of the distinguishing features of these drugs are listed in Box
18.59. |
Potassium channel
activators |
This class of drug
has arterial and venous dilating properties but does not exhibit the tolerance
seen with nitrates. Nicorandil (10-30 mg 12-hourly orally) is the only drug in
this class currently available for clinical use. |
18.59 CALCIUM ANTAGONISTS USED FOR
THE TREATMENT OF ANGINA |
Drug |
Dose |
Feature |
Nifedipine |
5-20 mg 8-hourly* |
May cause marked
tachycardia |
Nicardipine |
20-40 mg 8-hourly |
May cause less myocardial
depression than the other drugs in this group |
Amlodipine |
2.5-10 mg daily |
Ultralong-acting |
Verapamil |
40-80 mg 8-hourly* |
Commonly causes
constipation; useful anti-arrhythmic properties (p. 573) |
Diltiazem |
60-120 mg 8-hourly* |
Similar anti-arrhythmic
properties to verapamil |
* Once- or
twice-daily slow-release preparations are available. |
page 585 |
|
page 586 |
Although each of
these groups of drug has been shown to be superior to placebo in relieving the
symptoms of angina, there is little convincing evidence that one group is more
effective than another. Moreover, many commonly used combinations of
anti-anginal drugs have not been evaluated in well-controlled clinical trials.
Nevertheless, it is conventional to start therapy with low-dose aspirin,
sublingual GTN and a β-blocker, and then add a calcium channel antagonist or a
long-acting nitrate later, if necessary. The goal is the control of angina with
minimum side-effects and the simplest possible drug regimen. There is little or
no evidence that prescribing multiple anti-anginal drugs is of benefit, and
revascularisation should be considered if an appropriate combination of two
drugs fails to achieve a symptomatic response. |
The most widely
used invasive options for the treatment of ischaemic heart disease include
percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI; including percutaneous transluminal
coronary angioplasty, PTCA) and coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery.
|
Percutaneous
coronary intervention (PCI) |
This is performed
by passing a fine guidewire across a coronary stenosis under radiographic
control and using it to position a balloon which is then inflated to dilate the
stenosis (Fig. 18.14, p. 533 and Fig. 18.65). A coronary stent is a piece of coated
metallic 'scaffolding' that can be deployed on a balloon and used to maximise
and maintain dilatation of a stenosed vessel. The routine use of stents in
appropriate vessels reduces both acute complications and the incidence of
clinically important restenosis (Box 18.60).
|
PCI provides an
effective symptomatic treatment but there is no evidence that it improves
survival in patients with chronic stable angina. PCI is mainly used in single or
two-vessel disease; stenoses in bypass grafts can be dilated as well as those in
the native coronary arteries, and the technique is often used to provide
palliative therapy for patients with recurrent angina after CABG. Coronary
surgery is usually the preferred option in patients with three-vessel or left
main disease, although recent trials have demonstrated that PCI is also feasible
in such patients. |
|
|
|
Figure 18.65
Percutaneous coronary intervention. A sequence of images from a
58-year-old woman with stable angina. Severe stenosis of the circumflex artery (arrow). A balloon has been advanced into the stenosis, over a
guidewire, and has been inflated. (Note the waisting caused by the lesion.)
Residual stenosis and dissection (tramline shadow-arrow)
after balloon dilatation. A stent is deployed on a balloon. The stent is visible on plain fluoroscopy (arrow). Angiogram after stenting. A short balloon is used to dilate the stent at high
pressure. Final result. |
page 586 |
|
page 587 |
18.60 ANGIOPLASTY AND
INTRACORONARY STENTS IN ANGINA |
'In comparison with
simple balloon angioplasty, intracoronary stents afford superior acute and
long-term clinical and angiographic results with lower rates of restenosis (e.g.
17% vs 40%) and recurrent angina (13% vs 30%).' |
- Versaci F, et al. N Engl J Med 1997; 336:817-822.
- Savage MP, et al. N Engl J Med 1997; 337:740-747.
|
For further information:
http://www.nice.org.uk" target="_blank">www.nice.org.uk
18.61 PERCUTANEOUS CORONARY
INTERVENTION VS MEDICAL THERAPY IN STABLE ANGINA |
'PCI is more effective
than medical therapy for alleviating angina pectoris and improving exercise
tolerance but does not reduce mortality. It carries risks of procedure-related
myocardial infarction, emergency coronary artery bypass grafting and repeat
procedures for restenosis.' |
- Bucher HC, et al. BMJ 2000; 321:73-77.
- RITA-2 Trial participants. Lancet 1997; 350:461-468.
|
For further information:
http://www.sign.ac.uk" target="_blank">www.sign.ac.uk
The main acute
complications of PCI are occlusion of the target vessel or a side branch by
thrombus or a loose flap of intima (coronary artery dissection), and consequent
myocardial damage. This occurs in about 2-5% of procedures and can often be
corrected by deploying a stent; however, emergency CABG is sometimes required.
Minor myocardial damage, as indicated by elevation of sensitive intracellular
markers (troponins), occurs in up to 10% of cases. The main long-term
complication of PCI is restenosis (Box 18.61), which
occurs in up to one-third of cases; this is due to a combination of elastic
recoil and smooth muscle proliferation (neo-intimal hyperplasia) and tends to
occur within 3 months. Stenting substantially reduces the risk of restenosis,
probably because it allows the operator to achieve more complete dilatation in
the first place. Drug-eluting stents can reduce this risk even further by
allowing an antiproliferative drug, such as sirolimus or paclitaxel, to elute
slowly from the coating and prevent neo-intimal hyperplasia and in-stent
restenosis. Recurrent angina (affecting up to 15-20% of patients receiving an
intracoronary stent at 6 months) may require further PCI or bypass grafting.
|
The risk of
complications and the likely success of the procedure are closely related to the
morphology of the stenoses, the experience of the operator and the presence of
important comorbidity (e.g. diabetes, peripheral arterial disease). A good
outcome is less likely if the target lesion is complex, long, eccentric or
calcified, lies on a bend or within a tortuous vessel, involves a branch or
contains acute thrombus. |
In combination
with aspirin and heparin, adjunctive therapy with potent platelet inhibitors,
such as clopidogrel or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists, has been
shown to improve the outcome of PCI, with lower short- and long-term rates of
death and myocardial infarction. |
Coronary artery
bypass grafting (CABG) |
The internal
mammary arteries, radial arteries or reversed segments of the patient's own
saphenous vein can be used to bypass coronary artery stenoses (Figs 18.66 and 18.67). This usually involves major surgery under
cardiopulmonary bypass, but in some cases, grafts can be applied to the beating
heart: 'off-pump' surgery. The operative mortality is approximately 1.5%, but
risks are higher in elderly patients, those with poor left ventricular function
and those with significant comorbidity, such as renal failure.
|
Figure 18.66
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery. Narrowed or stenosed arteries are
bypassed using saphenous vein grafts connected to the aorta, or by utilising the
internal mammary artery. |
page 587 |
|
page 588 |
Figure 18.67
Three-dimensional reconstruction of multislice computed tomography of the
heart. The image shows the patent saphenous vein grafts (SVG) to the right
coronary artery (RCA), obtuse marginal branch (OM) and diagonal branch (LADD),
and left internal mammary artery graft (LIMA) to the left anterior descending
(LAD) coronary artery. |
18.62 CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS
GRAFTING (CABG) FOR STABLE ANGINA |
'CABG is superior to
medical treatment for at least 10 years after surgery in terms of survival.
Greatest benefit occurred in those with a significant stenosis in the left main
coronary artery or those with three-vessel disease and impaired ventricular
function.' |
- Yusuf S, et al. Lancet 1994; 344:563-570.
- Davies RF, et al. Circulation 1997; 95:2037-2043.
|
For further information:
http://www.sign.ac.uk" target="_blank">www.sign.ac.uk
Approximately 90%
of patients are free of angina 1 year after surgery, but fewer than 60% of
patients are asymptomatic 5 or more years after CABG. Early post-operative
angina is usually due to graft failure arising from technical problems during
the operation or poor 'run off' due to disease in the distal native coronary
vessels. Late recurrence of angina may be due to progressive disease in the
native coronary arteries or graft degeneration. Less than 50% of vein grafts are
patent 10 years after surgery. However, arterial grafts have a much better
long-term patency rate with more than 80% of internal mammary artery grafts
patent at 10 years. This has lead many surgeons to consider total arterial
revascularisation (TAR) during CABG surgery. Aspirin (75-150 mg daily) and
clopidogrel (75 g daily) have both been shown to improve graft patency, and one
or other should be prescribed indefinitely if well tolerated. Intensive
lipid-lowering therapy has also been shown to slow the progression of disease in
the native coronary arteries and bypass grafts, and to reduce clinical
cardiovascular events; serum LDL cholesterol concentrations should therefore be
reduced below 3.2 mmol/l (∼120 mg/dl). There is substantial excess
cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in patients who continue to smoke after
bypass grafting. Persistent smokers are twice as likely to die in the 10 years
following surgery compared with those who give up at surgery.
|
CABG has been
shown to improve survival in patients with left main coronary stenosis, and
symptomatic patients with three-vessel coronary disease (i.e. involving left
anterior descending, circumflex and right coronary arteries, Box
18.62) or two-vessel disease involving the proximal left anterior descending
coronary artery. Improvement in survival is most marked in those with impaired
left ventricular function or positive stress testing prior to surgery and those
who have undergone left internal mammary artery grafting.
|
Neurological
complications are common, with a 1-5% risk of perioperative stroke. Between 30%
and 80% of patients develop short-term cognitive impairment that is often mild
and typically resolves within 6 months. There are also reports of long-term
cognitive decline that may be evident in more than 30% of patients at 5 years.
|
Symptoms are a
poor guide to prognosis; nevertheless, the 5-year mortality of patients with
severe angina (NYHA class III or IV, p. 534) is nearly double
that of patients with mild symptoms. Exercise testing and other forms of stress
testing are much more powerful predictors of mortality; for example, in one
study, the 4-year mortality of patients with stable angina and a negative
exercise test was 1%, compared to more than 20% in those with a strongly
positive test. |
18.63 COMPARISON OF PERCUTANEOUS
CORONARY INTERVENTION (PCI) AND CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFTING
(CABG) |
|
PCI |
CABG |
Death |
< 0.5% |
< 1.5% |
Myocardial
infarction* |
2% |
10% |
Hospital stay |
12-36 hrs |
5-8 days |
Return to
work |
2-5 days |
6-12 weeks |
Recurrent
angina |
15-20% at 6 months |
10% at 1 year |
Repeat
revascularisation |
10-20% at 2 years |
2% at 2 years |
Neurological
complications |
Rare |
Common (see
text) |
Other
complications |
Emergency
CABG Vascular damage related to access site |
Diffuse myocardial
damage Infection (chest, wound) Wound pain |
page 588 |
|
page 589 |
18.64 COMPARISON OF PERCUTANEOUS
CORONARY INTERVENTION (PCI) VS CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT (CABG) SURGERY IN
STABLE ANGINA |
'Systematic reviews and
meta-analyses have found similar rates of death, myocardial infarction and
quality of life. PCI is associated with a greater need for repeat procedures,
although this has been halved by the introduction of intracoronary stent
implantation. For patients with multi-vessel disease or diabetes, CABG appears
to confer better survival rates at 4-5 years.' |
- Pocock SJ, et al. Lancet 1995; 346:1184-1189.
- Bypass Angioplasty Revascularisation Investigation (BARI) Investigators. N
Engl J Med 1996; 335:217-225.
- Hoffman SN, et al. J Am Coll Cardiol 2003; 41:1293-1304.
|
For further information:
http://www.sign.ac.uk" target="_blank">www.sign.ac.uk
In general, the
prognosis of coronary artery disease is related to the number of diseased
vessels (one-, two- or three-vessel coronary artery disease) and the degree of
left ventricular dysfunction. A patient with single-vessel disease and good LV
function has an excellent outlook (5-year survival > 90%), whereas a patient
with severe LV dysfunction and extensive three-vessel disease has a poor
prognosis (5-year survival < 30%) without revascularisation.
|
Spontaneous
symptomatic improvement due to the development of collateral vessels is common.
|
ANGINA WITH
NORMAL CORONARY ARTERIES |
Approximately 10%
of patients who report stable angina on effort will be found to have
angiographically normal coronary arteries. Many of these patients are women and
the mechanism of their symptoms is often difficult to establish. It is important
to review the original diagnosis and explore other potential causes.
|
Vasospasm in
coronary arteries may coexist with atheroma, especially in unstable angina (see
below); occasionally (< 1% of all cases of angina), however, vasospasm may
occur without angiographically detectable atheroma. This form of angina is
sometimes known as variant angina and may be accompanied by spontaneous and
transient ST elevation on the ECG (Prinzmetal's angina). Calcium antagonists,
nitrates and other coronary vasodilators (e.g. nicorandil) are the most useful
therapeutic agents but may be ineffective. |
The constellation
of typical angina on effort, objective evidence of myocardial ischaemia on
stress testing, and angiographically normal coronary arteries is sometimes known
as syndrome X. This disorder is poorly understood but carries a good prognosis
and may respond to treatment with anti-anginal therapy. |
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