To stent or not to stent? Treating angina after ISCHEMIA —the impact of the ISCHEMIA trial on the indications for angiography and revascularization in patients with stable coronary artery disease

The ISCHEMIA trial is a large, multinational trial sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which has recently been published.1 The main trial compares coronary revascularization and optimal medical therapy (OMT) vs. OMT alone in 5179 patients enrolled after stress testing, in addition to two ancillary studies in patients with chronic kidney disease (777 patients)2 and a quality of life sub-study in the main ISCHEMIA trial, which enrolled 4617 patients.3Crucial to placing the results of this important trial into perspective is a review of where we stood prior to the publication of ISCHEMIA, in regard to the indications for coronary revascularization vs. OMT in patients with chronic stable angina, more recently referred to as chronic coronary syndromes.4
Source: European Heart Journal - Category: Cardiology Source Type: research