Abstract
The COURAGE (Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation) trial was designed to evaluate the benefits of percutaneous coronary intervention in reducing the risk of cardiovascular events in patients with chronic stable coronary artery disease. The results reinforce the prior evidence regarding the importance of medical treatment which should be a universal goal. The study population enrolled was quite average for a routine cardiology clinic. However, the results of cardiac intervention are center-dependent and therefore need to be analyzed as such. Patients should initially receive the optimal medical treatment. Patients with symptom persistence, intolerance to medical treatment, and moderate to severe ischemia should be considered candidates for combined treatment. Treatment needs to be individualized and discussed with the patient. New studies, without the limitations of the COURAGE trial, enrolling high-risk patients treated with new interventional technologies, are needed to assess the impact of ischemia in long-term prognosis.
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Acknowledgments
Funding for the preparation of this manuscript was provided by Rovi Farmaceuticals. Medical writing assistance was provided by Sofia Perea, PhD on behalf of Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions. The authors do not report any conflicts of interest.
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Cardiel, E.A., Murga, N. Current Analysis of the Results of the COURAGE Trial. Am J Cardiovasc Drugs 9 (Suppl 1), 19–21 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2165/1153165-S0-000000000-00000
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/1153165-S0-000000000-00000