The prognosis in stable and unstable angina

The average annual mortality in unselected patients with chronic stable angina is 4%. Mortality is increased in male patients and in patients who have risk factors such as hypertension, previous MI, or abnormal ECGs. We do not routinely recommend cardiac catheterization in the initial management of patients with stable angina unless the patient exhibits evidence for severe myocardial ischemia on non-invasive testing or has symptoms that are refractory to treatment. In patients who undergo cardiac catheterization, the most important determinant of survival is left ventricular function followed by the number of diseased vessels. Noninvasive testing provides important additional prognostic information to cardiac catheterization data and should be used in the decision to treat a patient medically or surgically. Mortality is increased in patients who have low exercise tolerance, exercise-induced ischemia, or a poor hemodynamic response to exercise. Unstable angina in medically treated patients is associated with a 3% to 5% hospital mortality and 7% to 8% mortality in the first year. The rate of nonfatal MI is about 8% to 10% in the first 2 weeks. We routinely recommend coronary angiography unless patients have had recent cardiac catheterization or there is a major contraindication. Mortality is increased in those who fail to respond to initial therapy, who have severe left ventricular dysfunction, and who have multivessel CAD, particularly left main CAD. The question of whether all patients with unstable angina require coronary angiography for risk stratification and possible revascularization is being addressed in the TIMI III trial.