Optimal medical therapy for coronary artery disease in 2011 - perspectives from the STICH Trial.

Optimal medical therapy for coronary artery disease in 2011 - perspectives from the STICH Trial. Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem. 2011 Oct;9(4):269-76 Authors: Whayne TF, Saha SP, Quevedo K, Mukherjee D Abstract Medical, percutaneous interventional, and surgical treatments for the management of coronary heart disease have progressed markedly during the past decade. There is evidence to suggest that for patients with stable coronary heart disease optimal medical therapy is equal in effectiveness for lowering the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction, and stroke, as are revascularization procedures, such as coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous coronary intervention. The landmark Surgical Treatment for Ischemic Heart Failure (STICH) trial found no significant difference between medical therapy alone and medical therapy plus coronary artery bypass grafting with respect to the primary end point of death from any cause (all-cause mortality). However, secondary outcomes showed fewer deaths from cardiovascular causes in the surgical group versus the medical group. Medical therapy has improved over time, as have surgical techniques including myocardial preservation, and both approaches have their place, especially since chest pain relief and quality of life may benefit more in some cases by revascularization. Certainly, coronary artery bypass grafting has general acceptance for ...
Source: Cardiovascular and Hematological Agents in Medicinal Chemistry - Category: Cardiology Tags: Cardiovasc Hematol Agents Med Chem Source Type: research