The sensitivity of the symptom angina pectoris as a marker of transient myocardial ischaemia in chronic stable angina pectoris.
Therapeutic decisions in patients with angina pectoris are traditionally based on the history reported by the patient, since objective evidence of myocardial ischaemia during daily life is often not available. In this study, ambulatory ST segment monitoring was performed in 60 patients with a history of chronic stable angina pectoris, positive exercise test and/or positive coronary angiography, and a correlation was made between the episodes of chest pain and ST segment change. The patients were grouped according to the results of exercise testing and coronary arteriography, and one group was studied with and without antianginal medication. Overall, 195 episodes of angina were noted, only 94 of which (48%) were accompanied by ST segment depression. Pain and ST segment changes were best correlated in patients with a positive exercise test, positive angiography and who were not receiving antianginal medication. In 101 episodes of chest pain, ST segment change could not be identified; in 18 (18%) there was sinus tachycardia, in 12 (12%) ventricular premature beats, and in 71 (70%) sinus rhythm solely. Thus, anginal pain appears not to be the reliable indicator of transient myocardial ischaemia as was previously thought, a finding which supports the use of objective methods in identifying episodes of transient myocardial ischaemia in daily life.
Department of Cardiology, Odense University Hospital, Denmark.
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic