Characteristics, treatment and quality of life of stable coronary artery disease patients with or without angina: Insights from the START study

Data on contemporary management patterns of angina in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) are scarce. We sought to describe the current presentation, management, and quality of life of stable CAD patients with or without angina, using the data from the START (STable Coronary Artery Diseases RegisTry) study. START was a prospective, observational, nationwide study aimed to evaluate the presentation, management, treatment and quality of life of stable CAD presenting to cardiologists during outpatient visits or discharged from cardiology wards. Among the 5070 consecutive stable CAD patients enrolled in 183 participating centers over a 3-month period, 3714 (73.2%) had no angina and 1356 (26.8%) presented with angina. Patients with angina underwent more frequently coronary angiography (92.7% vs 84.9%; p<0.0001) and other diagnostic imaging procedures compared to those without angina. In addition, patients with angina received more frequently different combinations of first line therapies and angina relief drugs compared to patients without angina. The quality of life, assessed with the EQ 5D-5L questionnaire, did not differ between the two groups, with the exception of the ‘pain or worry’ domain that was higher in patients with compared to those without angina (p<0.0001). Current management and treatment of stable CAD patients with angina is still suboptimal and different compared to those without angina. Our findings highlight the need for disseminating best-practice patterns and improving guidelines adherence for the management of angina even among cardiologists.