Shifting the Management Paradigm in Stable Angina and Myocardial Ischemia: Integrating Tailored Pharmacotherapy with Procedures

Abstract

Management of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) has been based on the plausible assumption that flow-limiting atherosclerotic obstructions are the proximate cause of angina and myocardial ischemia in most patients and represent an important target for revascularization, though the role of revascularization in reducing long-term cardiac events is limited mainly to those with left main disease, 3-vessel disease with diabetes, or decreased ejection fraction. Mounting evidence indicates that non-epicardial coronary causes of angina and ischemia, including coronary microvascular dysfunction, vasospastic disorders, and derangements of myocardial metabolism, are more prevalent than flow-limiting stenoses, raising concerns that many important causes other than epicardial CAD are neither considered nor probed diagnostically. There is a need for a more inclusive management paradigm that uncouples the singular association between epicardial CAD and revascularization and better aligns diagnostic approaches that tailor treatment to the underlying mechanisms and precipitants of angina and ischemia in contemporary clinical practice