Several alternative therapies have emerged for treating patients with chronic refractory angina pectoris, yet only a few have given rise to sufficiently published data regarding safety and effectiveness. It is imperative to establish an effective and preferably non-invasive therapy for this expanding patient cohort. We report initial experience with cardiac shock wave therapy (CSWT) in the ever...

A patient with severe variant angina that was refractory to conventional treatment became symptom free when she was treated with benzhexol (trihexyphenidyl hydrochloride), a cholinergic blocking agent used in the management of Parkinson's disease. There was a brief psychotic reaction when a large dose was taken and some memory impairment on the maintenance dose. Benzhexol should be used with ca...

R efractory angina pectoris is a debilitating clinical condition that has typically been used to describe a subset of patients with chest pain syndrome on maximally tolerated antianginal medical therapy, demonstrable myocardial ischemia, and no coronary revascularization options (1). A multitude of novel treatment options directed at patients with refractory angina, ranging from interventional ...

OBJECTIVE To compare health-related quality of life in 2 different populations with chronic pain: patients with fibromyalgia and patients with refractory angina pectoris. Previous separate studies have indicated that these patient groups report different impacts of pain on health-related quality of life. METHODS The Short-Form 36 was used to assess health- related quality of life. In order to...

In the gender subgroup analysis of the CURE (Clopidogrel in Unstable Angina to Prevent Recurrent Events) trial data, we observed that fewer women across all Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) risk strata underwent coronary angiography compared to men (1). However, among women who did have significant coronary artery disease (CAD), an equal proportion went on to have coronary revascula...

The prevalence of refractory angina (RFA) in the United States is estimated between 600 000 and 1.8 million. With the advances made in the management of coronary artery disease, prolonged survival, and an aging population, the incidence of debilitating angina refractory to medical therapy (also referred to as no-option angina) is increasing. These patients present a major clinical problem becau...

Patients implanted with a cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) who are suffering from refractory angina pectoris could benefit from spinal cord stimulation (SCS) due to the well-documented pain relieving effect. However, the combined treatment remains controversial. The aim of the study is to report successful long-term treatment with SCS in five patients implanted with cardioverter defibrillators....