[Drug therapy of angina pectoris. Are the possibilities exploited well enough?]

A retrospective comparative study of the use of antianginal drugs in 1987 and 1992/93 has been carried out in unselected series of patients admitted for angiographic evaluation. Compared with the patients in 1987 the patients in 1992/93 were treated with approximately 50% of the doses of beta-blockers and isosorbide dinitrate. There was also a considerable reduction of the proportion of patients who received doses of beta-blockers of a similar level as used in large multicentre studies showing improved survival after myocardial infarction. The explanation of this change in therapy may be due, at least partly, to a general fear of side-effects.