The conundrum of detecting stable angina pectoris in the community setting

Individuals with undetected stable angina pectoris (SAP) as a consequence of undiagnosed coronary artery disease are at high risk of poor quality of life and a premature fatal event (for example, sudden cardiac death out of hospital). If the extent and distribution of SAP are accurately identified at the population level, clinical screening could potentially be targeted and evaluated to optimize the management and secondary prevention of underlying coronary artery disease. Common measures of SAP in populations have important limitations. Measures chosen to identify such cases should reflect their validity as measures of undiagnosed SAP, currently symptomatic angina or lifetime diagnosis of angina