Angina, "normal" coronary angiography, and vascular dysfunction : risk assessment strategies

• Chest pain may be associated with coronary arteries that appear "normal". Normal is defined here as no visible disease or luminal irregularities (less than 50%) as judged visually at coronary angiography. Normal angiography in patients with chest pain is five times more common in women than in men [1]. Among patients with chest pain and normal angiography, an unknown number are suffering from cardiac pain of ischemic origin. Uncertainty is often difficult to allay, for medical attendants as well as for patients, resulting in perpetuation of symptoms, difficulties in management, and establishment of risk of subsequent coronary events [2]. In this article, we discuss how to stratify risk in patients with chest pain and a normal coronary angiogram.

Keyword

Angina Pectoris/*physiopathology

Chest Pain/etiology

Coronary Angiography

Coronary Artery Disease

Decision Making

Endothelium; Vascular/*physiopathology

Humans

Quality of Life

Risk Assessment

MEDICINE

MEDICIN

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)