THE NATURAL HISTORY OF CHANGING PATTERNS OF ANGINA PECTORIS

Abstract

Patients (158) with coronary artery disease were observed to determine the mode of termination of altered patterns of anginal pain. Subsidence of pain on bedrest without evidence of significant myocardial necrosis followed in 18%. Remission of pain associated with minor degrees of myocardial necrosis occurred in 40%. Frank myocardial infarction supervened in 23.4%. In 3.2% of the cases, angina decubitus remained unaltered. The mortality rate after development of frank myocardial infarction was 16.5% of the total group. Finally, 15.8% of the entire group are classified in the category of "sudden unexpected death", without clinical or ecg evidence of significant myocardial infarction.