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Challenges with Evidence-Based Management of Stable Ischemic Heart Disease

  • Ischemic Heart Disease (D Mukherjee, Section Editor)
  • Published:
Current Cardiology Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

Stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) is a highly prevalent condition associated with increased costs, morbidity, and mortality. Management goals of SIHD can broadly be thought of in terms of improving prognosis and/or improving symptoms. Treatment options include medical therapy as well as revascularization, either with percutaneous coronary intervention or coronary artery bypass grafting. Herein, we will review the current evidence base for treatment of SIHD as well as its challenges and discuss ongoing studies to help address some of these knowledge gaps.

Recent Findings

There has been no consistent reduction in death or myocardial infarction (MI) with revascularization vs. medical therapy in patients with SIHD in contemporary trials. Angina and quality of life have been shown to be relieved more rapidly with revascularization vs. optimal medical therapy; however, the durability of these results is uncertain. There have been challenges and limitations in several of the trials addressing the optimal treatment strategy for SIHD due to potential selection bias (due to knowledge of coronary anatomy prior to randomization), patient crossover, and advances in medical therapy and revascularization strategies since trial completion.

Summary

The challenges inherent to prior trials addressing the optimal management strategy for SIHD have impacted the generalizability of results to real-world cohorts. Until the results of additional ongoing trials are available, the decision for revascularization or medical therapy should be based on patients’ symptoms, weighing the risks and benefits of each approach, and patient preference.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: ••Of major importance

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, Cardiovascular Outcomes Group, Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Sripal Bangalore

  2. Division of Cardiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Amit V. Patel

  3. 550 1st Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    Amit V. Patel

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  1. Amit V. Patel
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  2. Sripal Bangalore
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Correspondence to Sripal Bangalore.

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Conflict of Interest

Amit V. Patel declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Sripal Bangalore has received NIH grant support for the ISCHEMIA and ISCHEMIA-CKD trials. He is on the advisory board and gets research grant support from Abbott-Vascular.

Human and Animal Rights and Informed Consent

This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

Additional information

This article is part of the Topical Collection on Ischemic Heart Disease

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Patel, A.V., Bangalore, S. Challenges with Evidence-Based Management of Stable Ischemic Heart Disease. Curr Cardiol Rep 19, 11 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-017-0820-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-017-0820-7

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