Value of silent myocardial ischemia
Von Arnim, T.
Fortschritte der Medizin 107(3): 35-36; 39 83-84, 85
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0015-8178 PMID: 2646190 Document Number: 344323
More recent long-term ECG studies in patients with coronary heart disease have resulted in a focusing of interest on silent myocardial ischemia. Diagnostically, ECG changes suspicious for ischemia should always be confirmed by a second criterion. It has been found that differences between silent myocardial ischemia and angina pectoris are to be found mainly in the origination, conduction and perception of pain, and not in the underlying ischemia. Accordingly, prognostic studies have also shown that, in common with the presence of angina pectoris, the demonstration of silent myocardial ischemia is also a prognostically unfavorable sign. In severe ischemia, the indication for therapy is based on the prognosis of the patient; however, there have so far been no studies aimed at showing whether the prognosis of the patient can be improved over the long term by drug treatment.