Transient ischemic episodes - a marker for future cardiac events in patients with stable angina pectoris

Coronary heart disease is the most frequent cause of death in industrialized countries. Besides its irreversible manifestations as myocardial infarction or sudden death, the disease presents itself in symptomatic form as angina pectoris or in asymptomatic form as silent ischemia. In recent years the similarities between silent and non-silent manifestations of transient ischemia have received much attention [1–4]. It has been shown that pain is not a very reliable warning system for patients with transient episodes of myocardial ischemia. Even in myocardial infarctions a high percentage of asymptomatic occurrences has been found [5].