Persisting Chest Pain in Nonobstructive Coronary Artery Disease

hest pain is the most common symptom of coronary artery disease (CAD) prompting subjects to seek attention from physicians. Angina is an important predictor of outcomes and to a large extent determines health-related quality of life (HRQoL) even in the overall apparently health population. Furthermore, physical disability caused by angina has an impact on prognosis as well as on HRQoL. Early reports have demonstrated the value of supplementing the clinical presentation of angina with angiographic information. Angiography does not miss significant life-threatening disease. The severity and the extent of obstructive coronary lesions demonstrated by angiography are powerful predictors of death. Clinical presentation is also a strong predictor of mortality, as type and severity of chest pain act indirectly as predictors because of their association with the severity of the coronary stenosis.