Percutaneous coronary intervention vs. medical therapy: what are the implications for women?
There have been eight major studies assessing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) vs. medical therapy in the past 10 years. Women were inadequately represented in many of these studies, but because of similar long-term survival curves in women and men, most of the PCI data can be applied to women until more trials are published. According to currently available data, PCI offers greater angina relief and improvement in exercise tolerance than medicine alone, but has a greater risk of procedure-related complications in women. As a result of the rapid advancement of cardiovascular therapy, many of these studies did not incorporate optimal medical therapy or current PCI therapies. It is likely that for most patients (including women) with moderate angina, the best management may be a combination of PCI, medical therapy, and lifestyle changes.
Haymart
Megan Rist
MR
The Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease, Department of Internal Medicine, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland 21287, USA.
Dickfeld
Timm
T
Nass
Caitlin
C
Blumenthal
Roger S
RS
D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012737:Sex Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D000925:Anticoagulants; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors