title: Unstable angina pectoris as a warning symptom before acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Four hundred patients who were admitted over the last three years with myocardial infarction were questioned about the presence and pattern of angina before its onset. Two hundred and twenty-four (56 per cent) patients had angina before their infarction; 184 (46 per cent) had the unstable pattern of angina. That such a high proportion of patients experience unstable angina as a prodromal symptom makes it possible that myocardial infarction could be prevented in some of these patients. Patients with previous angina had a higher incidence of subendocardial infarction than patients without angina (stable or unstable) (p less than 0.01). In-hospital prognosis was better in patients with chronic or unstable angina than in patients without angina (p less than 0.05).
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Department, Public Hospital of Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kouvaras
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bacoulas
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000150:complications*; D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications*; D011379:Prognosis; D013997:Time Factors