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  • Review Article
  • Published:

Treatment of refractory angina in patients not suitable for revascularization

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 11, pages 78–95 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

This article has been updated

Key Points

  • Refractory angina is an increasingly prevalent clinical syndrome characterized by ongoing ischaemic symptoms despite optimal medical management in patients for whom traditional revascularization is not an option

  • Data indicate that up to 10–15% of patients undergoing cardiac catheterization fit the clinical description for refractory angina, and that prognosis is improving, with an annual mortality of only 3–4%

  • The primary focus is on improving quality of life for patients with refractory angina

  • Traditional treatment for myocardial ischaemia involves increasing coronary blood in-flow, increasing blood oxygen-carrying capacity, and decreasing oxygen consumption; new treatments involve modulating myocyte metabolism and redistributing coronary flow

  • Emerging therapies include novel interventional techniques (percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusions, and the coronary sinus occluder), angiogenesis with cell therapy, shockwave therapy, and neuromodulation

  • Implementation of interdisciplinary, specialized clinics with advanced clinical care, as well as investigational options (including psychological and self-management approaches), could be important advances for patients with refractory angina

Abstract

A growing number of patients, particularly those with advanced, chronic coronary artery disease, experience symptoms of angina that are refractory to treatment with β-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and long-acting nitrates, despite revascularization. The management of patients with refractory angina who are unsuitable for further revascularization is strikingly different across the world, and is contingent on local resources and available expertise. Mortality in this patient population has decreased, but enhancing quality of life remains a challenge. New treatment principles are emerging in current practice, such as metabolic modulation, therapeutic angiogenesis, and novel interventional techniques (coronary in-flow redistribution and approaches to chronic total occlusion). The contemporary management of refractory angina encourages individualized, patient-centred care in interdisciplinary, specialized clinics. Global initiatives are required to address complex clinical problem-solving for patients with refractory angina. In this Review, we discuss the epidemiology of refractory angina, and provide an update on the pharmacological, noninvasive, and interventional options that are available to these patients or are under development.

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Figure 1: Therapeutic principles of myocardial ischaemia.
Figure 2: Treatment options for refractory angina.
Figure 3: Metabolic factors influencing angina.
Figure 4: Successful percutaneous coronary intervention for chronic total occlusion is associated with reduced angina frequency.
Figure 5: Effect of BMSCs on primary outcomes in patients with refractory angina.
Figure 6: The neurogenic components of angina.
Figure 7: Effect of SCS on exercise capacity.

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Change history

  • 14 January 2014

    In the version of this article initially published online, the drug citalopram shown in Figure 6d should have been escitalopram. The error has been corrected for the print, HTML, and PDF versions of the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute, 127 South San Vicente Boulevard, AHSP, A3100, Los Angeles, 90048, CA, USA

    Timothy D. Henry

  2. Park Nicollet Heart and Vascular Center, 6500 Excelsior Boulevard, St Louis Park, 55426, MN, USA

    Daniel Satran

  3. Department of Medicine, Montreal Heart Institute, Université de Montréal, 5000 Belanger East Street, Montreal, H1T 1C8, Québec, Canada

    E. Marc Jolicoeur

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All the authors contributed substantially to researching data for the article, discussing its content, writing the manuscript, and reviewing/editing it before submission.

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Correspondence to Timothy D. Henry.

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Competing interests

T. D. Henry declares associations with the following companies: Abbott Vascular, Baxter, Gilead, and Neovasc. T. D. Henry is supported by grants from the NIH Cardiovascular Cell Therapy Research Network. The Minneapolis Heart Institute is supported by research grants from Baxter, Gilead, Cytori, and the NIH. E. M. Jolicoeur declares associations with the following companies: Baxter, Gilead, Neovasc, and Servier. E. M. Jolicoeur is supported by research grants from les Fonds la Recherche du Québec en santé, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, and la Fondation de l'Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal. D. Satran declares no competing interests.

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Henry, T., Satran, D. & Jolicoeur, E. Treatment of refractory angina in patients not suitable for revascularization. Nat Rev Cardiol 11, 78–95 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2013.200

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