[Therapy of angina pectoris]

Treatment of angina pectoris should follow the clinical course: Stable angina is most often responding to nitropreparations, betablockers or calciumantagonists; differentialtherapy should consider the basic state of the patient: age, heart-rate, hypo- or hypertension, cardiac failure or asthma bronchiale etc. Unstable angina needs more attention and should be transferred to a coronary care unit. Analgetics, sedatives, oxygen and nitrates should be applied under hemodynamic monitoring. Only in rare cases with cardiac failure or with rapid atrial fibrillation glycosides will be necessary. In extreme bradiacardias a pacemaker can be helpful. Captopril might be a new substance in nonresponders.