PubMed · 3138537
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J Loscalzo, E Braunwald. 1988-10-06. Tissue plasminogen activator.. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm198810063191407
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Unstable angina pectoris may be manifested as new-onset angina, a change in the anginal pattern, pain at rest with associated electrocardiographic (ECG) changes, or postinfarction angina. Of these, pain at rest with ischemic ECG changes is known to be associated with the poorest prognosis. The pathogenesis of unstable angina pectoris involves a combination of a fixed atherosclerotic obstruction and a dynamic component related to coronary vasoconstriction, thrombus formation, or both. Long-acting nitrates, inhibitors of platelet aggregation, beta blockers, and calcium antagonists are among the agents that have been shown to be effective in the medical management of unstable angina. A study now in progress is evaluating the routine use of thrombolytic therapy for this indication. Although alleviation of symptoms and prevention of death and myocardial infarction are important therapeutic goals, the overall efficacy of a particular medical therapy can best be assessed by objective evaluation of its ability to control ischemia, using such techniques as exercise scintigraphy and ambulatory ECG monitoring. Cardiac catheterization and revascularization are indicated for patients with unstable angina who continue to experience symptoms or who show evidence of silent ischemia despite medical therapy. A study is under way to determine the advisability of routine revascularization of such patients. Revascularization will provide symptomatic relief in most patients with unstable angina and may prolong survival and improve left ventricular function in certain subsets.
An association between raised renin levels and myocardial infarction has been reported. We studied the effects of enalapril, an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, on the development of myocardial infarction and unstable angina in 6797 patients with ejection fractions < or = 0.35 enrolled into the two Studies of Left Ventricular Dysfunction (SOLVD) trials. Patients were randomly assigned to placebo (n = 3401) or enalapril (n = 3396) at doses of 2.5-20 mg per day in two concurrent double-blind trials with the same protocol. Patients with heart failure entered the treatment trial (n = 2569) and those without heart failure entered the prevention trial (n = 4228). Follow-up averaged 40 months. In each trial there were significant reductions in the number of patients developing myocardial infarction (treatment trial: 158 placebo vs 127 enalapril, p < 0.02; prevention trial: 204 vs 161 p < 0.01) or unstable angina (240 vs 187 p < 0.001; 355 vs 312, p < 0.05). Combined, there were 362 placebo group patients with myocardial infarction compared with 288 in the enalapril group (risk reduction 23%, 95% CI 11-34%; p < 0.001). 595 placebo group patients developed unstable angina compared with 499 in the enalapril group (risk reduction 20%, 95% CI 9-29%, p < 0.001). There was also a reduction in cardiac deaths (711 placebo, 615 enalapril; p < 0.003), so that the reduction in the combined endpoint of deaths, myocardial infarction, and unstable angina was highly significant (20% risk reduction, 95% CI 14-26%; p < 0.0001). Enalapril treatment significantly reduced myocardial infarction, unstable angina, and cardiac mortality in patients with low ejection fractions.