Relation between changes in severity of coronary artery stenosis and anginal patterns

Although myocardial ischemia causes angina pectoris, angina and the severity of coronary artery stenosis in individuals do not correlate. However, changes in anginal status over time correlated with changes in the severity of coronary artery stenosis as determined by repeated coronary arteriograms has not been previously studied. Coronary arteriograms, done both at entry into the Program on the Surgical Control of the Hyperlipidemias (POSCH) and 3 years later, were blindly graded for changes in overall severity of coronary artery stenosis according to protocol by the POSCH Arteriography Review Committee. Arteriographic and clinical data from 376 control subjects (347 men, 29 women) were analyzed. There was no statistically significant relation over a long‐term (3 year) period between the absence, presence, development, or disappearance of angina pectoris and changes in coronary artery stenosis severity as determined by coronary arteriography. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss,Inc