Platelets play a pivotal role in mediating thrombotic complications of atherosclerotic vascular disease. Oral antiplatelet agents are the cornerstone of pharmacologic therapy for preventing ischemic events of atherothrombotic disease. Aspirin…
The management of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS), whether in the initial or later stages of disease, is rooted firmly in three fundamental pathobiological constructs—atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular repair….
Unstable angina (UA) is classically defined as ischemic discomfort that occurs at rest (or with minimal exertion), occurs with a crescendo pattern, or is severe and of new onset. If…
Atherosclerosis is a multifactorial disease presenting with diverse clinical phenotypes. For example, manifestations range from an elderly patient with few or no symptoms and three-vessel disease, to an asymptomatic individual…
Given the high prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), the evaluation of patients with suspected or documented ischemic heart disease is one of the most common indications for echocardiography. History…
The primary goal of physicians with patients presenting with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is to choose a treatment strategy that optimizes outcome for each individual patient. Physicians also increasingly…
High-quality, noninvasive coronary imaging requires high spatial resolution and a high acquisition speed because of the small size, tortuous course, and continuous motion of the coronary arteries. Computed tomography (CT)…
An acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is comprised of biomarker-positive ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), non–ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and biomarker-negative unstable angina (UA; Fig. 13-1 ). The most common…
In medicine, as in all human communication, it is essential to define the entities being discussed clearly. The history of medicine is replete with examples of communication failure resulting from…
Historical Perspective Angina pectoris literally translates as “strangling in the chest.” William Heberden presented one of the earliest descriptions of angina pectoris in 1768 in a lecture to the Royal…
