title: Unresolved issues in the management of chronic stable angina.
abstract: Chronic stable angina is a common and progressive disease which has a major impact on patient quality of life and imposes a high financial and medical burden on society. Given the range of agents now available, optimal medical therapy - which according to guidelines is the preferred option in the majority of patients with low-risk disease - offers the opportunity for effective control. However, recent studies suggest that management remains suboptimal in up to a third of patients and that physicians often underestimate the extent to which angina continues to limit patients' lives. A higher frequency of angina also relates directly to increased healthcare costs. These factors suggest the need for the development and implementation of appropriate guidelines, for tools to encourage the regular, systematic assessment of the management of chronic stable angina patients, and for improved means of communication between doctors and patients. Neither physicians nor their patients need to accept that a certain level of angina symptoms is unavoidable.
authors: Cardiovascular & Cell Sciences Research Institute, Cardiac Research Centre, St. George's University of London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: jcamm@sgul.ac.uk.
authors: A John
authors: AJ
authors: Camm
authors: Cardiology Department, Asklepeion Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors: Athanasios
authors: A
authors: Manolis
authors: Department of Cardiology, University of Perugia School of Medicine, Perugia, Italy.
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Ambrosio
authors: St. James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Daly
authors: Department of Cardiology, Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France.
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Komajda
authors: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Esteban
authors: E
authors: Lopez de Sa
authors: Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Jose Luis
authors: JL
authors: Lopez-Sendon
authors: Department of Neurosciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Mugelli
authors: Vezia, Switzerland.
authors: Franco
authors: F
authors: Muggli
authors: School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Tamargo
mesh_terms: D060050:Angina, Stable / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012307:Risk Factors
keywords: Angina; Chronic stable angina; Doctor–patient communication; Optimal medical therapy; Quality of life