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Background: Angina pectoris in coronary heart disease (CHD) is a common ischemic heart disease clinically. During the onset, patients often have symptoms such as chest discomfort or paroxysmal crushing pain in the posterior sternum, which seriously affects the quality of life of patients, and even can lead to myocardial infarction and endanger the lives of patients. Clinical studies have shown that the compound Chinese prescription Xuefu Zhuyu decoction combined with western medicine has a certain therapeutic effect on angina pectoris in CHD, but lack of evidence of evidence-based medicine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris in CHD., Methods: Use computer to retrieve English databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library) and Chinese databases (CNKI, Wan Fang, VIP, Chinese biomedical database), from the establishment of database to October 2020, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Xuefu Zhuyu decoction combined with Western medicine for angina pectoris in CHD. Two investigators independently conducted data extraction and assessed the literature quality of the included studies. The Revman5.3 software was used for meta-analysis of the included literatures., Results: The efficacy and safety of Xuefu Zhuyu decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris in CHD were evaluated by total effective rate, angina pectoris pain score, TCM syndrome score, electrocardiogram effect, hemorheology index (including whole blood viscosity, plasma viscosity, hematocrit, and fibrinogen), and the incidence of adverse reactions., Conclusion: This study will provide reliable evidence-based evidence for the clinical application of Xuefu Zhuyu decoction combined with western medicine in the treatment of angina pectoris in CHD., Ethics and Dissemination: Private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also does not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval was not required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated at relevant conferences., Osf Registration Number: DOI 10.17605 / OSF.IO / GFEQ7.

A 47-year-old man presented with angina pectoris complaints in the chest pain unit. Due to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis he had been systemically treated for 4 years. Because of an increased cardiovascular risk profile, coronary heart disease (CHD) was suspected and an invasive coronary diagnosis was performed. In the cardiac catheterization, CHD could be detected and treated in the same session. The risk of CHD in patients with psoriasis is increased due to a higher incidence of risk factors but also the disease itself. Patients with psoriasis should regularly undergo cardiovascular risk screening.

Syndromes of coronary heart disease with angina pectoris were analyzed to provide guidance for clinical practice and to improve accuracy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) diagnoses and efficacy of TCM treatment. A total of 860 cases with coronary heart disease with angina pectoris were selected from TCM Clinical Research Information Sharing System for TCM clinics and research. Syndromes were automatically extracted with the cluster method and were analyzed to provide objective evidence for clinical studies. Final syndrome classifications were recognized and confirmed by clinical experts. Popular syndromes included Qi and blood deficiency, blood stasis and obstruction collaterals, liver depression and spleen deficiency, and Qi stagnation and blood stasis. Syndromes Qi and blood deficiency and blood stasis and obstruction collaterals accounted for 28.61% of total syndromes, whereas liver depression and spleen deficiency and Qi stagnation and blood stasis accounted for 26.44%. The main syndrome elements comprised Qi deficiency, blood deficiency, blood stasis, and Qi stagnation.

Background: In patients with suspected angina pectoris, CT coronary angiography (CTCA) clarifies the diagnosis, directs appropriate investigations and therapies, and reduces clinical events. The effect on patient symptoms is currently unknown., Methods: In a prospective open-label parallel group multicentre randomised controlled trial, 4146 patients with suspected angina due to coronary heart disease were randomised 1:1 to receive standard care or standard care plus CTCA. Symptoms and quality of life were assessed over 6 months using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire and Short Form 12., Results: Baseline scores indicated mild physical limitation (74±0.4), moderate angina stability (44±0.4), modest angina frequency (68±0.4), excellent treatment satisfaction (92±0.2) and moderate impairment of quality of life (55±0.3). Compared with standard care alone, CTCA was associated with less marked improvements in physical limitation (difference -1.74 (95% CIs, -3.34 to -0.14), p=0.0329), angina frequency (difference -1.55 (-2.85 to -0.25), p=0.0198) and quality of life (difference -3.48 (-4.95 to -2.01), p<0.0001) at 6 months. For patients undergoing CTCA, improvements in symptoms were greatest in those diagnosed with normal coronary arteries or who had their preventative therapy discontinued, and least in those with moderate non-obstructive disease or had a new prescription of preventative therapy (p<0.001 for all)., Conclusions: While improving diagnosis, treatment and outcome, CTCA is associated with a small attenuation of the improvements in symptoms and quality of life due to the detection of moderate non-obstructive coronary artery disease., Trial Registration Number: NCT01149590., Competing Interests: Competing interests: DEN, EvB, GR and GMcK have received honoraria and consultancy from Toshiba Medical Systems. GR has received honoraria from companies (Bracco, Bayer-Schering, GE Healthcare and Guerbet) producing contrast media. DEN (CH/09/002) and MCW (FS/11/014) are supported by the British Heart Foundation. DEN is the recipient of a Wellcome Trust Senior Investigator Award (WT103782AIA). AT is supported by Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, funded by the National Institute for Health Research. EvB is supported by the Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform of Scientific Excellence (SINAPSE)., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.)

Background and Objective: Diagnostic models used in the management of suspected angina provide no explicit information about prognosis. We present a new prognostic model of 10-year coronary mortality in patients presenting for the first time with suspected angina to complement the Diamond-Forrester diagnostic model of disease probability., Methods and Results: A multicentre cohort of 8762 patients with suspected angina was followed up for a median of 10 years during which 233 coronary deaths were observed. Developmental (n=4412) and validation (n=4350) prognostic models based on clinical data available at first presentation showed good performance with close agreement and the final model utilised all 8762 patients to maximise power. The prognostic model showed strong associations with coronary mortality for age, sex, chest pain typicality, smoking status, diabetes, pulse rate, and ECG findings. Model discrimination was good (C statistic 0.83), patients in the highest risk quarter accounting for 173 coronary deaths (10-year risk of death: 8.7%) compared with a total of 60 deaths in the three lower risk quarters. When the model was simplified to incorporate only Diamond-Forrester factors (age, sex and character of symptoms) it underestimated coronary mortality risk, particularly in patients with reversible risk factors., Conclusions: For the first time in patients with suspected angina, a prognostic model is presented based on simple clinical factors available at the initial cardiological assessment. The model discriminated powerfully between patients at high risk and lower risk of coronary death during 10-year follow-up. Clinical utility was reflected in the prognostic value it added to the updated Diamond-Forrester diagnostic model of disease probability., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/)

Background and Aims: To explore the clinical value of the combination of apolipoprotein B/apolipoprotein A1 (apoB/A1) and non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) in evaluating the severity of coronary heart disease (CHD) and in predicting in-hospital CHD events and the long-term prognosis of CHD patients., Methods: According to the results of coronary angiography, 826 patients were enrolled and classified into a CHD group (532 cases, including single-branch stenosis group, n = 165; double-branch stenosis group, n = 175;and multi-branch stenosis group, n = 192) and a normal group (294 cases). The serum apoB/apoA1 ratio and non-HDL-C were calculated at baseline. The Gensini score and logistic regression were applied to analyze the association between the apoB/apoA1 ratio, non-HDL-C, and the severity of CHD. Major in-hospital adverse incidents were recorded and follow-up telephone interviews were conducted 3 years after discharge., Results: Both the apoB/apoA1 ratio and non-HDL-C rose with the number of stenotic coronary branches. Only apoB and apoB/apoA1 remained significantly associated with the risk of multi-branches lesions and the Gensini score after adjustment. Patients with combined high levels of apoB/apoA1 and non-HDL-C (N = 50, 43.10 %) suffered from the highest risk of multi-branches lesions. Similarly, patients with combined high levels of apoB/apoA1 and non-HDL-C not only suffered from the highest risk of in-hospital new-onset heart failure and cardiac death (16.38 % vs. 10.35 %), but also had the highest risk of adverse events, angina, myocardial infarction, new-onset heart failure, stroke, and cardiac death after an average 3-year follow-up., Conclusion: The combination of apoB/apoA1 and non-HDL-C is predictive of the severity of CHD, and it could provide more prognostic information than its individual components or other routine lipid profiles.

This paper aims to study the effect of Shengjie Tongyu granules on the treatment of meteorological cardiovascular disease in clinical treatment. Tongxinluo capsule that is clinically recognized as the effective drug in treating coronary heart disease and angina and was adopted as positive control. The results showed that, angina score and TCM score of two groups were all significantly improved after the treatment (P<0.01), but there was no statistical significance in comparison between groups (P>0.05); total effective rate of angina in the treatment group (77.78%) was superior than the control group (62.52%) after the treatment; but the difference had no statistical significance (P>0.05); total effective rate of TCM syndrome in the treatment group (75%) was superior than the control group (58.62%), and the difference had statistical significance (P<0.05). All these findings suggested that, Shengjie Tongyu granules can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of patients with coronary heart disease and angina, with the curative effect similar to Tongxinluo capsule; meanwhile, it can increase HDL-C and improve abnormal lipid metabolism of angina patient. In the treatment process, there is no significant untoward effect, blood, routine urine test and hepatorenal function have no abnormality, which proves that this drug is safe.

Background: The relationship between coronary heart disease (CHD) and cognitive function is not completely elucidated. We examined the association between severity of angina pectoris (AP) in mid-life and subsequent cognitive impairment among CHD patients., Methods: Severity of AP according to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society angina classification was assessed in a subgroup of people with chronic CHD, who previously participated in a secondary prevention trial. Cognitive performance was evaluated 15±3 years later, using a validated set of computerized cognitive tests (Neurotrax Computerized Cognitive Battery; computing index scores summarizing performance in each cognitive domain and a global cognitive score). We compared the risk of cognitive deficits in participants with AP class >2 to those with AP≤2, adjusting for vascular risk factors, common carotid-intima media thickness (CC-IMT), and presence of carotid plaques., Result: Among 535 participants (mean age at baseline 57.9±6.6 y; 95% males), AP class >2 was associated with subsequent poorer performance on tests of memory and attention compared to those with AP class ≤2 (β=-4.3±1.8; P=0.016 and β=-3.6±1.7; P=0.029, respectively) and with a higher risk of having impairment in these domains [odds ratio (95% confidence interval)=1.83 (1.11-3.02); P=0.019 and 2.36 (1.34-4.16); P=0.003, for memory and attention, respectively]. These results were similar after controlling for vascular risk factors; however, the association of AP with memory domain attenuated after adjustment for CC-IMT or presence of carotid plaques., Conclusions: In people with preexisting CHD, severity of AP is associated with late-life poorer cognitive performance, independent of other vascular risk factors.

Background: Most people referred to rapid access chest pain clinics have non-cardiac chest pain, and in those diagnosed with stable coronary heart disease, guidance recommends that first-line treatment is usually medication rather than revascularisation. Consequently, many patients are not reassured they have the correct diagnosis or treatment. A previous trial reported that, in people with non-cardiac chest pain, a brief discussion with a health psychologist before the tests about the meaning of potential results led to people being significantly more reassured. The aim of this pilot was to test study procedures and inform sample size for a future multi-centre trial and to gain initial estimates of effectiveness of the discussion intervention., Methods: This was a two-arm pilot randomised controlled trial in outpatient rapid access chest pain clinic in 120 people undergoing investigation for new onset, non-urgent chest pain. Eligible participants were randomised to receive either: a discussion about the meaning and implication of test results, delivered by a nurse before tests in clinic, plus a pre-test pamphlet covering the same information (Discussion arm) or the pre-test pamphlet alone (Pamphlet arm). Main outcome measures were recruitment rate and feasibility for a future multi-centre trial, with an estimate of reassurance in the groups at month 1 and 6 using a 5-item patient-reported scale., Results: Two hundred and seventy people attended rapid access chest pain clinic during recruitment and 120/270 participants (44%) were randomised, 60 to each arm. There was no evidence of a difference between the Discussion and Pamphlet arms in the mean reassurance score at month 1 (34.2 vs 33.7) or at month 6 (35.3 vs 35.9). Patient-reported chest pain and use of heart medications were also similar between the two arms., Conclusions: A larger trial of the discussion intervention in the UK would not be warranted. Patients reported high levels of reassurance which were similar in patients receiving the discussion with a nurse and in those receiving a pamphlet alone., Trial Registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN60618114 (assigned 27.05.2011).

The extent to which angina pectoris (AP) predicts secondary cardiovascular events beyond independent of measures of disease severity is unknown. We evaluated the association between AP frequency and secondary events in patients with stable coronary heart disease (CHD). We administered the Seattle Angina Questionnaire to 1,023 participants with stable CHD enrolled from September 2000 to December 2002 and followed for a median of 8.9 years. We used Cox proportional hazards to evaluate the association of AP frequency with death and subsequent hospitalization for AP, revascularization, myocardial infarction (MI), or heart failure. At enrollment, 633 (62%) participants reported no AP, 279 (27%) reported monthly AP, and 111 (11%) reported daily or weekly AP. During follow-up, 396 participants died, 204 were hospitalized for AP, 194 for revascularization, 140 for MI, and 188 for heart failure. Compared with participants without AP, participants with daily or weekly AP were more likely to be hospitalized for AP (hazard ratio [HR] 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.3 to 4.7; p<0.001), revascularization (HR 2.0; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.9; p=0.001), or heart failure (HR 1.6; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.5; p=0.03) and more likely to die (HR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0; p=0.01). AP was not independently associated with MI (HR 1.3; 95% CI 0.8 to 2.3; p=0.29). After adjusting for demographics, co-morbidities, treadmill exercise capacity, ejection fraction, and inducible ischemia, frequency of AP remained independently associated with hospitalization for AP (HR 2.4; 95% CI 1.6 to 3.6; p<0.001), revascularization (HR 1.7; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.7; p=0.02), and death (HR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0 to 2.0; p=0.045). In conclusion, in outpatients with stable CHD, AP frequency predicts higher rates of secondary cardiovascular events and death, independent of objective measures of disease severity., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We know little about socio-demographic differences in chest pain presenting to primary care and subsequent coronary heart disease (CHD) diagnosis., Methods: We conducted a cohort study with 198,209 patients aged 30 years and over with a first episode of chest pain, using data from 339 general practices in The Health Improvement Network (THIN) primary care database during 1997-2007. We calculated incidence of chest pain and subsequent CHD by age, gender and quintiles of Townsend area deprivation score., Results: Chest pain incidence was 19.6/1000 person years at risk (PYAR, 95% CI 19.5-19.7). Incidence rose with age and increasing deprivation, with minimal gender differences. The incidence of CHD in the year following chest pain in primary care was 96.6/1000 PYAR (95% CI 95.1-98.0). There were significant interactions with age/deprivation and gender/deprivation on subsequent CHD diagnosis. The effect of deprivation was less for those over 60 years, and greater for younger women. Women in their 30s with chest pain in deprived areas had 8.77 times (95% CI 3.34-23.06) the CHD incidence compared to those in the most affluent areas. The absolute risk difference was small (8/1000 PYAR, 95% CI 4.5-11.5/1000 PYAR)., Conclusions: There was a modestly greater incidence of chest pain in primary care in more deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas. There were interactions between age, gender and deprivation on subsequent CHD diagnosis, with the greatest effect of deprivation on CHD diagnosis seen in younger women. This observation suggests the need for targeting health promotion and CHD prevention among younger women in deprived areas.

Background: The practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a profound history in many Asian countries. TCM syndrome is a set of characteristic physical signs and symptoms shared by a group of patients. Syndrome diagnosis and treatment assignment according to the identified TCM syndrome is a long-held practice of Chinese medicine. Owing to its distinctive way of interpreting illness and administering care, medical practitioners not well educated in TCM theories and practices are generally incapable of giving out prescriptions for Chinese patent drugs. Currently, the existence of a multitude of Chinese patent drugs marked with largely identical indications is further complicating this situation., Methods: In this multicenter, randomized, controlled, double-blind, double-dummy clinical trial, in which we will use the comparative effectiveness research method, we will compare the efficacy of two commonly used Chinese patent medicines for angina patients diagnosed with qi deficiency and blood stasis syndrome. A total of 160 patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to receive either (1) QiShenYiQi dripping pills, Tongxinluo placebo and routine medication or (2) Tongxinluo capsules, QiShenYiQi placebo and routine medication. These treatment regimens will be carried out for 4 weeks, followed by a 10-day washout period and a 4-week crossover phase in which the treatments in the two patient groups will be exchanged. Patients will be allowed to choose symptoms that matter most to them and will be grouped accordingly. Patient-reported outcomes such as the Seattle Angina Questionnaire score and the 15-point Likert scale score will be measured and reported. The minimally clinical important difference will be calculated and used for efficacy assessment, and correspondence analysis will be performed to identify the best indications for each drug., Discussion: The goal of the study is to establish a methodology for the precise identification of the characteristic indications for which a Chinese patent drug is most effective. The findings of this study will inform the practicality of the proposed evaluation method., Trial Registration: Chinese clinical trials register Chi CTRTTRCC13003732.

The characteristics of holistic, dynamics, complexity, and spatial and temporal features enable "Omics" and theories of TCM to interlink with each other. HPO, namely, "characterization," can be understood as a sorting and generalization of the manifestations shown by people with diseases on the basis of the phenomics. Syndrome is the overall "manifestation" of human body pathological and physiological changes expressed by four diagnostic methods' information. The four diagnostic methods' data could be the most objective and direct manifestations of human body under morbid conditions. In this aspect, it is consistent with the connation of "characterization." Meanwhile, the four diagnostic methods' data also equip us with features of characterization in HPO. In our study, we compared 107 pieces of four diagnostic methods' information with the "characterization database" to further analyze data of four diagnostic methods' characterization in accordance with the common characteristics of four diagnostic methods' information and characterization and integrated 107 pieces of four diagnostic methods' data to relevant items in HPO and finished the expansion of characterization information in HPO.

The national observational study of diagnostic and interventional cardiac catheterization (ONACI) is a prospective multicenter registry of the French Society of Cardiology including all interventional cardiology procedures performed from 2004. We aimed to evaluate "real-world" management of patients with coronary artery disease in France from this registry. The present study was focused on data collected from 2004 to 2008. Patient demographics and co-morbidities, invasive parameters, treatment options, and procedural techniques were prospectively collected. Patients were recruited from 99 hospitals (55% of patients were hospitalized in private clinics and 45% in public institutions). During a 5-year period, a total of 298,105 patients underwent coronary angiography and 176,166 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention. Diagnosis was acute coronary syndrome in 22%, stable angina or silent ischemia in 23%, and atypical chest pain in 9% of cases. Normal coronary arteries or nonsignificant coronary narrowing were found in 26% of patients. Radial access was increasingly used over the years regardless of the indication. The average number of percutaneous coronary interventions per procedure was 1.5 ± 0.7 (range, 1.3 ± 0.7 to 1.5 ± 0.7) and that of stents per procedure was 1.5 ± 0.8 (range, 1.5 ± 0.8 to 1.6 ± 0.8). Drug-eluting stents were used in 45% (range, 34% to 62%), increasing from 2004 to 2006, and then decreasing after the 2006 controversy. In conclusion, ONACI is one of the largest catheterization registries during this period, providing a detailed and comprehensive global description of the spectrum and management of patients with suspected coronary artery disease undergoing cardiac catheterization., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test findings commonly have no epicardial coronary artery disease (CAD) at catheterization. The aim of the present study was to develop a risk score to predict obstructive CAD in such patients. Data were analyzed from 337 consecutive women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test findings who underwent cardiac catheterization at our center from 2003 to 2007. Forward selection multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify the independent predictors of CAD, defined by ≥50% diameter stenosis in ≥1 epicardial coronary artery. The independent predictors included age ≥55 years (odds ratio 2.3, 95% confidence interval 1.3 to 4.0), body mass index <30 kg/m(2) (odds ratio 1.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 3.1), smoking (odds ratio 2.6, 95% confidence interval 1.4 to 4.8), low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (odds ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 5.5), family history of premature CAD (odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.0 to 5.7), lateral abnormality on stress imaging (odds ratio 2.8, 95% confidence interval 1.5 to 5.5), and exercise capacity <5 metabolic equivalents (odds ratio 2.4, 95% confidence interval 1.1 to 5.6). Assigning each variable 1 point summed to constitute a risk score, a graded association between the score and prevalent CAD (ptrend <0.001). The risk score demonstrated good discrimination with a cross-validated c-statistic of 0.745 (95% confidence interval 0.70 to 0.79), and an optimized cutpoint of a score of ≤2 included 62% of the subjects and had a negative predictive value of 80%. In conclusion, a simple clinical risk score of 7 characteristics can help differentiate those more or less likely to have CAD among women with angina pectoris and abnormal stress test findings. This tool, if validated, could help to guide testing strategies in women with angina pectoris., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: To determine the diagnostic value of single symptoms and signs for coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with chest pain., Methods: Searches of two electronic databases (EMBASE 1980 to March 2008, PubMed 1966 to May 2009) and hand searching in seven journals were conducted. Eligible studies recruited patients presenting with acute or chronic chest pain. The target disease was CHD, with no restrictions regarding case definitions, eg, stable CHD, acute coronary syndrome (ACS), acute myocardial infarction (MI), or major cardiac event (MCE). Diagnostic tests of interest were items of medical history and physical examination. Bivariate random effects model was used to derive summary estimates of positive (pLR) and negative likelihood ratios (nLR)., Results: We included 172 studies providing data on the diagnostic value of 42 symptoms and signs. With respect to case definition of CHD, diagnostically most useful tests were history of CHD (pLR=3.59), known MI (pLR=3.21), typical angina (pLR=2.35), history of diabetes mellitus (pLR=2.16), exertional pain (pLR=2.13), history of angina pectoris (nLR=0.42), and male sex (nLR=0.49) for diagnosing stable CHD; pain radiation to right arm/shoulder (pLR=4.43) and palpitation (pLR=0.47) for diagnosing MI; visceral pain (pLR=2.05) for diagnosing ACS; and typical angina (pLR=2.60) and pain reproducible by palpation (pLR=0.13) for predicting MCE., Conclusions: We comprehensively reported the accuracy of a broad spectrum of single symptoms and signs for diagnosing myocardial ischemia. Our results suggested that the accuracy of several symptoms and signs varied in the published studies according to the case definition of CHD.

Background: Patients with angina pectoris or myocardial infarction frequently present without evidence of cardiac-specific heart enzymes by laboratory analysis or specific pathologic electro-cardiogram findings. The current study analyzed the efficacy of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate as an additional potential indicator for coronary heart disease, the aim being to enable quicker identification of patients with angina pectoris or myocardial infarction so that they can be more rapidly treated., Methods: Patients with angina pectoris or myocardial infarction who had undergone a heart catheter examination were included in the study. The diagnosis of acute coronary heart disease was made by the physician who performed coronary angiography. Patients without coronary heart disease were used as a control group. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was measured in all patients. Patients with angina pectoris or myocardial infarction and an inflammatory or tumor disease were excluded., Results: The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was prolonged in 79 (58.09%) of 136 patients; 69 (50.74%) patients (95% confidence interval ±8.4%, 42.34%-59.14%) had coronary heart disease and a prolonged erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was prolonged in ten (7.35%) patients (95% confidence interval ±4.39%, 2.96%-11.74%) without coronary heart disease by coronary angiography. The specificity of the erythrocyte sedimentation rate for coronary heart disease was 70.59% and the sensitivity was 67.65%., Conclusion: Erythrocyte sedimentation rate may be a useful additional diagnostic criterion for coronary heart disease.

The aim of the Chest Pain Unit at Policlinico Umberto I in Rome was to implement simple diagnostic flow-charts in subjects with non-traumatic chest pain for an early identification of patients at high, intermediate and low risk of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 4.74% of all patients admitted to the Emergency Department were hospitalized in the Chest Pain Unit. 15.72% of them received a diagnosis of atypical chest pain with low risk of ACS; 26,42% were diagnosed of stable angina pectoris; 11.37% were affected by chronic coronary heart disease with medium risk of ACS and 12.83% were at high risk of acute coronary syndrome.

Background: Self-reported angina symptoms are collected in epidemiological surveys. We aimed at validating the angina symptoms assessed by the Rose Questionnaire against registry data on coronary heart disease. A further aim was to examine the sex paradox in angina implying that women report more symptoms, whereas men have more coronary events., Design: Angina symptoms of 6601 employees of the City of Helsinki were examined using the postal questionnaire survey data combined with coronary heart disease registries., Methods: The self-reported angina was classified as no symptoms, atypical pain, exertional chest pain, and stable angina symptoms. Reimbursed medications and hospital admissions were available from registries 10 years before the survey. Binomial regression analysis was used., Results: Stable angina symptoms were associated with hospital admissions and reimbursed medications [prevalence ratio (PR), 6.75; 95% confidence interval (CI), 4.56-9.99]. In addition, exertional chest pain (PR, 5.31; 95% CI, 3.45-8.18) was associated with coronary events. All events were more prevalent among men than women (PR, 2.36; 95% CI, 1.72-3.25)., Conclusion: The Rose Questionnaire remains a valid tool to distinguish healthy people from those with coronary heart disease. However, a notable part of those reporting symptoms have no confirmation of coronary heart disease in the registries. The female excess of symptoms and male excess of events may reflect inequality or delay in access to treatment, problems in identification and diagnosis, or more complex issues related to self-reported angina symptoms.

Objective: To explore the element distribution features and syndrome combination laws of coronary heart disease angina., Methods: The syndrome database of 2 029 patients with coronary heart disease angina was established to study the syndrome elements and syndrome combination laws., Results: (1) The syndrome element distribution of coronary heart disease angina was featured as: blood stasis > qi deficiency > phlegm turbid > yin deficiency > phlegm turbid with more warm property > yang deficiency > stagnant qi > phlegm turbid with more cold > cold coagulation. Of them, qi deficiency and blood stasis were the main two syndrome elements, and phlegm turbid with more warm and yin deficiency also occupied important positions. (2) Syndrome combination laws of coronary heart disease angina: three elements syndrome and two elements syndrome were dominant. The combination of sthenia syndrome element and asthenia syndrome element was the most important combination laws. Qi deficiency and blood stasis was the main combination form., Conclusions: Qi deficiency, yin deficiency, phlegm turbid, and blood stasis form four key links of its pathogenesis, in which, qi deficiency and blood stasis was the most basic pathogenesis. The syndrome element combination had some laws.

Frequently patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) present with chest pain. Anginal equivalents such as dyspnoea and fatigue, or radiation of pain to the neck, jaw and arm, are also well described. Absence of chest pain with chronic left arm and neck pain is more unusual but demonstrates the heterogeneity of presentation. CAD should be considered in those anginal equivalents in the absence of 'strangling and anxiety of the breast'.

Background: To evaluate the age-adjusted Framingham risk score (AFRS), flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) for the prediction of the coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with stable angina., Methods and Results: In 138 consecutive patients with stable angina, the interrelationship and predictive power of CHD were compared between the study parameters. In total, 71 patients demonstrated CHD after scheduled coronary angiography. The AFRS showed significant correlation with FMD (r = -0.43, P < 0.01) and baPWV (r = 0.41, P < 0.01). Based on AFRS, FMD, baPWV and other risk factors of CHD, multivariate analysis showed that AFRS and FMD (odds ratio (OR) 20.098, 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.773-84.627, P < 0.01, and OR 0.865, 95%CI 0.752-0.995, P < 0.05, respectively) were independent predictors of CHD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for detecting CHD, AFRS, inverse FMD (iFMD) and baPWV were 0.863, 0.726 and 0.694, respectively (all P < 0.01). However, there was no difference of the area under the ROC curves between AFRS alone and combined complex parameters (AFRS plus iFMD, AFRS plus baPWV, and AFRS plus iFMD plus baPWV) for detecting CHD., Conclusions: AFRS was a better predictor of CHD than either FMD or baPWV in patients with stable angina. This means that conventional risk factors for cardiovascular disease do not affect uniformly for atherosclerosis in coronary and peripheral arteries.

Objective: To establish and screen the primitive entry pool of scale for patient-reported outcomes of coronary heart disease angina (CHDA)., Methods: Under the guidance of Chinese medical theory, the original entry pool was preliminarily established in referring the international scale development methods and the characteristics of angina pectoris, which was screened by focus group discussions, semi-open questionnaires investigation, and expert's interviews., Results: Thirty-six entries were screened out from the 41 entries of initially established entry pool, in which 14 entries dealt with physiological domain, 8 with psychological domain, 4 with independent domain, 3 with social relations domain, 6 with social environment domain and 1 for overall assessment., Conclusions: The preliminary entries screened out have covered all the 5 commonly concerned domains of CHD-AP, could reflect the connotation of the disease more comprehensively. And it has good content validity due to its popular language, which is easily to be understood, comprehended and responded.

Objectives: To validate published prediction models for the presence of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with new onset stable typical or atypical angina pectoris and to assess the incremental value of the CT coronary calcium score (CTCS)., Methods: We searched the literature for clinical prediction rules for the diagnosis of obstructive CAD, defined as ≥50% stenosis in at least one vessel on conventional coronary angiography. Significant variables were re-analysed in our dataset of 254 patients with logistic regression. CTCS was subsequently included in the models. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated to assess diagnostic performance., Results: Re-analysing the variables used by Diamond & Forrester yielded an AUC of 0.798, which increased to 0.890 by adding CTCS. For Pryor, Morise 1994, Morise 1997 and Shaw the AUC increased from 0.838 to 0.901, 0.831 to 0.899, 0.840 to 0.898 and 0.833 to 0.899. CTCS significantly improved model performance in each model., Conclusions: Validation demonstrated good diagnostic performance across all models. CTCS improves the prediction of the presence of obstructive CAD, independent of clinical predictors, and should be considered in its diagnostic work-up.

Background: Associations between depression, and possibly anxiety, with cardiovascular disease have been established in the general population and among heart patients. This study examined whether cardiovascular disease was more prevalent among a large cohort of depressed and/or anxious persons. In addition, the role of specific clinical characteristics of depressive and anxiety disorders in the association with cardiovascular disease was explored., Methods: Baseline data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety were used, including persons with a current (i.e. past year) or remitted DSM-IV depressive or anxiety disorder (N=2315) and healthy controls (N=492). Additional clinical characteristics (subtype, duration, severity, and psychoactive medication) were assessed. Cardiovascular disease (stroke and coronary heart disease) was assessed using algorithms based on self-report and medication use., Results: Persons with current anxiety disorders showed an about three-fold increased prevalence of coronary heart disease (OR anxiety only=2.70, 95%CI=1.31-5.56; OR comorbid anxiety/depression=3.54, 95%CI=1.79-6.98). No associations were found for persons with depressive disorders only or remitted disorders, nor for stroke. Severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms--but no other clinical characteristics--most strongly indicated increased prevalence of coronary heart disease., Limitations: Cross-sectional design., Conclusions: Within this large psychopathology-based cohort study, prevalence of coronary heart disease was especially increased among persons with anxiety disorders. Increased prevalence of coronary heart disease among depressed persons was largely owing to comorbid anxiety. Anxiety-alone as well as comorbid to depressive disorders-as risk indicator of coronary heart disease deserves more attention in both research and clinical practice., (2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Anginal chest pain is one of the most common complaints in the outpatient setting. While much of the focus has been on identifying obstructive atherosclerotic coronary artery disease (CAD) as the cause of anginal chest pain, it is clear that microvascular coronary dysfunction (MCD) can also cause anginal chest pain as a manifestation of ischemic heart disease, and carries an increased cardiovascular risk. Epicardial coronary vasospasm, aortic stenosis, left ventricular hypertrophy, congenital coronary anomalies, mitral valve prolapse, and abnormal cardiac nociception can also present as angina of cardiac origin. For nonacute coronary syndrome (ACS) stable chest pain, exercise treadmill testing (ETT) remains the primary tool for diagnosis of ischemia and cardiac risk stratification; however, in certain subsets of patients, such as women, ETT has a lower sensitivity and specificity for identifying obstructive CAD. When combined with an imaging modality, such as nuclear perfusion or echocardiography testing, the sensitivity and specificity of stress testing for detection of obstructive CAD improves significantly. Advancements in stress cardiac magnetic resonance imaging enables detection of perfusion abnormalities in a specific coronary artery territory, as well as subendocardial ischemia associated with MCD. Coronary computed tomography angiography enables visual assessment of obstructive CAD, albeit with a higher radiation dose. Invasive coronary angiography remains the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment of obstructive lesions that cause medically refractory stable angina. Furthermore, in patients with normal coronary angiograms, the addition of coronary reactivity testing can help diagnose endothelial-dependent and -independent microvascular dysfunction. Lifestyle modification and pharmacologic intervention remains the cornerstone of therapy to reduce morbidity and mortality in patients with stable angina. This review focuses on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of stable, non-ACS anginal chest pain.

The existing efficacy evaluation for coronary heart disease (CHD) angina pectoris does not demonstrate the characteristics and advantages of Chinese medicine (CM), so a new system of efficacy evaluation which can scientifically and systematically reflect the specific features of CM needs to be urgently set up. Based on wide references of efficacy evaluations of CHD angina pectoris from our country and abroad, and considering the general acceptance by academic circles and demonstration of the characteristics of CM, this paper tries to set up a new index system of efficacy evaluation, combining both disease and syndrome differentiation for CHD angina pectoris. This paper also offers some explorations based on the results of clinical trials. The system is composed of six aspects, including efficacy evaluation of "disease", syndrome factors and main endpoints (the incidence of important clinical events), as well as patient reported outcomes, safety evaluation and medical economics.

Background: Coronary heart disease in women is different from that in men with respect to symptoms, clinical presentation, value of the diagnostic tests and response to treatment. The article presents a review of symptoms and diagnostics of coronary heart disease in women and discusses the diagnostic procedures that are available., Material and Methods: The review is based on literature identified through a non-systematic search of PubMed., Results: In general, myocardial infarction hits women about ten years later than men, but women with risk factors loose their sex advantage. Women with coronary disease are less likely to experience chest pain than men and may have less specific symptoms. Traditional non-invasive diagnostic investigations are less accurate than in men. Women with angina or myocardial infarction also have a lower prevalence of significant stenoses in coronary angiography, and atherosclerosis seems to be more diffuse than in men. This renders the diagnostic approach more difficult. Coronary CT angiography is a promising diagnostic technique, but few women have been included in studies of the method's accuracy, and the radiation dose is still relatively high., Interpretation: We recommend a strategy that emphasizes risk stratification of patients, and thereafter identification of patients in need of further invasive testing. New techniques are needed to identify coronary heart disease in women.

Tests for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD) rely on two main diagnostic principles, that is direct visualisation of coronary anatomy or detection of stress-induced myocardial ischaemia. Whether a given test is useful for the patient's management critically depends on the clinical context, that is pre-test probability for significant CAD. Not every test is suitable for every patient. Non-invasive tests have the highest diagnostic yield in patients with chest pain and intermediate pre-test probability. In these patients, tests typically confirm the presence of CAD or make it highly unlikely. In patients with low or high pre-test probability, non-invasive tests provide hardly any added diagnostic information. However, in patients with high pre-test probability of CAD, non-invasive tests are helpful for risk stratification. In asymptomatic patients, there is no established indication for any tests apart from calculation of a global cardiovascular risk based on traditional risk factors and initiation of primary preventive measures if appropriate.