title: [Therapy of microvascular angina].
abstract: The treatment of microvascular angina (anginal pain resulting from myocardial ischemia due to dysfunction of small coronary arteries) is empiric and often ineffective at present. The poor knowledge of the pathophysiologic mechanisms responsible for the microvascular dysfunction and the possible heterogeneous nature of the disease limit the possibility of a rational therapeutic approach to these patients. The failure of traditional antiischemic therapy is confirmed by the frequent unresponsiveness of angina and by the reduced exercise tolerance with administration of sublingual nitrates. Despite that, beta-blockers and calcium-antagonists, when given either alone or in combination, are beneficial in the control of symptoms in some patients. Alternative forms of treatment, based on some pathophysiological hypotheses and clinical observations, include xanthine derivatives, ACE-inhibitors, alpha-blocking agents, imipramine and, in women, oestrogens. The actual clinical usefulness of these drugs, however, is questionable at present, as their efficacy should be evaluated with more adequate studies in the future.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Cardiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Roma.
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lanza
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cianflone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buffon
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crea
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maseri
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003663:Decision Trees; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007099:Imipramine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017566:Microvascular Angina / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D009566:Nitrates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014970:Xanthines / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D004967:Estrogens; D009566:Nitrates; D014970:Xanthines; D007099:Imipramine
vernacular_title: Terapia dell'angina microvascolare.