Stable angina pectoris: current medical treatment

Katerina Siama1, Dimitris Tousoulis, Nikolaos Papageorgiou

  • 11st Cardiology Unit, Hippokration Hospital, Athens University Medical School, Greece.

Insights

Stable angina management focuses on symptom relief and secondary prevention for coronary artery disease. Optimal medical therapy combines traditional drugs with newer agents like ranolazine, whose long-term effects require further study.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Stable angina is a primary symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD), with atherosclerosis as the underlying pathology.
  • CAD management involves lifestyle changes, pharmacotherapy, and potentially revascularization procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the aims of stable angina management, emphasizing symptomatic relief and secondary prevention.
  • To review current pharmacological strategies for chronic CAD, including established and novel treatments.

Main Methods:

  • Review of established medical therapies for CAD, including nitrates, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, antiplatelets, statins, and ACE inhibitors.
  • Identification and discussion of novel antianginal drug classes such as nicorandil, ivabradine, trimetazidine, and ranolazine.

Main Results:

  • Optimal medical therapy integrates antianginal/anti-ischemic drugs with disease-modifying agents.
  • Newer drug classes are increasingly used as second-line treatments for stable angina.

Conclusions:

  • Comprehensive management of chronic stable angina relies on lifestyle modifications and optimal medical therapy.
  • Emerging treatments offer alternative mechanisms of action, but their long-term efficacy and safety profiles are under ongoing investigation.

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