title: Cardiac syndrome X: a critical overview and future perspectives.
abstract: The classic definition of cardiac syndrome X (CSX) seems inadequate both for clinical and research purposes and should be replaced with one aimed at including a sufficiently homogeneous group of patients with the common plausible pathophysiological mechanism of coronary microvascular dysfunction. More specifically, CSX should be defined as a form of stable effort angina, which, according to careful diagnostic investigation, can reasonably be attributed to abnormalities in the coronary microvascular circulation.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Cardiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo A Gemelli, 8, 00168 Rome, Italy. g.a.lanza@inwind.it
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Lanza
mesh_terms: D002637:Chest Pain; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003329:Coronary Vasospasm / Q000503:physiopathology; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008833:Microcirculation; D017566:Microvascular Angina / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D011379:Prognosis