Does ischemia burden in stable coronary artery disease effectively identify revascularization candidates? Ischemia burden in stable coronary artery disease does not effectively identify revascularization candidates

Anatomical and Functional Approaches in the Assessment of Ischemia in Ischemic Heart Disease: Analysis of Major World Research

This review provides a chronology of major international studies of the effect of evaluating transient myocardial ischemia, including with radionuclide methods, and coronary stenosis on the choice of therapeutic strategy and prognosis for patients with ischemic and coronary disease. The authors discussed the rationales for using anatomic, functional, and perfusion visualization methods of noninvasive diagnostics in evaluation of patients with suspected or established ischemic heart disease.

The Risk Continuum of Atherosclerosis and its Implications for Defining CHD by Coronary Angiography

Patients undergoing coronary angiography for suspected coronary heart disease who are found to have coronary atherosclerotic disease with <50% diameter stenosis may carry a risk of adverse cardiac events similar to that in patients with single-vessel obstructive disease. Yet clinical practice guidelines offer no direction for managing symptomatic patients with nonobstructive coronary atherosclerosis because current diagnostic criteria for coronary heart disease are not met. Accordingly, secondary preventive measures are not endorsed, and their role is not defined in this setting. Available data suggest that we are missing the opportunity to provide effective preventive measures in millions of patients with nonobstructive coronary heart disease. The emergence of noninvasive coronary angiography in patients with suspected coronary heart disease provides the opportunity to transition from a categorical perspective on the presence or absence of coronary heart disease to accepting the risk continuum from atherosclerosis and its implications for diagnosis and management.