De Servi S, Mariani G
Divisione di Cardiologia, IRCCS, Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia.
Cardiologia. 1993 Dec;38(12 Suppl 1):93-100.
Secondary cardioprotection of patients with angina pectoris can be accomplished by selecting appropriate drugs for the specific clinical setting. Calcium-antagonists are the first choice drugs in patients with vasospastic angina or in those clinical situations in which vasoconstriction plays a significant pathogenetic role. On the contrary beta-blockers reduce mortality and the probability of myocardial infarction in patients with unstable angina. The beneficial effects of aspirin on survival of patients with unstable angina is also well known, whereas ACE-inhibitors reduce mortality as well as the incidence of unstable angina in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Also nonpharmacologic treatments (physical exercise, preconditioning) may have beneficial effects although their role is not well established yet.
