Health-Status Outcomes with Invasive or Conservative Care in Coronary Disease

This secondary analysis from the ISCHEMIA trial compared health-related quality-of-life outcomes between an invasive strategy (angiographic assessment and revascularization plus medical therapy) and a conservative strategy (medical therapy alone) in patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate to severe ischemia. Using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), patients in the invasive group showed modest but statistically significant improvements in angina frequency, physical limitation, and quality of life over 3 to 4 years especially among those who had more frequent angina at baseline. These findings support tailoring treatment based on symptom burden rather than solely on ischemia severity.

This secondary analysis from the ISCHEMIA trial compared health-related quality-of-life outcomes between an invasive strategy (angiographic assessment and revascularization plus medical therapy) and a conservative strategy (medical therapy alone) in patients with stable ischemic heart disease and moderate to severe ischemia. Using the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ), patients in the invasive group showed modest but statistically significant improvements in angina frequency, physical limitation, and quality of life over 3 to 4 years especially among those who had more frequent angina at baseline. These findings support tailoring treatment based on symptom burden rather than solely on ischemia severity.