Dotteren bij stabiele angina pectoris

Stable angina pectoris is usually treated medically, but revascularization by percutaneous coronary intervention is increasingly being applied as first line treatment. Although symptoms are relieved by this procedure which is much more patient-friendly and less expensive than coronary surgery, unexpectedly it does not improve long-term prognosis, as has recently been shown in the COURAGE-trial, a large randomized trial carried out in the US. Furthermore after three years, symptom relief was comparable with that of medicinal treatment. The extra cost of percutaneous coronary intervention per quality-adjusted life year exceeded € 100,000. Thus, this procedure as routine first line treatment for stable angina is not cost-effective on comparison with medical treatment.