Clearing blocked arteries is better than doing nothing for people with angina, as it reduces their risk of heart attack.

There's long been debate over how to treat people who have angina and are considered to have a moderate risk of heart attack. Doctors can adopt a 'wait and see' approach, treat with drugs, and hope for the best.

Or they may offer the patient a procedure to clear blocked coronary arteries - either angioplasty or bypass surgery. Such operations are, of course, not without their own risks. Researchers for the British Heart Foundation, the leading charity, report on a trial comparing intervention with the 'wait and see' approach in a group of 1810 patients.

At four months, 9.6 per cent of the patients in the intervention group had either died of a heart attack or still had angina, compared to 14.5 per cent in the 'wait and see' group. It appears that unblocking the arteries benefits those with angina and is worthwhile, even given the risks of the procedure.

Source

The Lancet on-line (www.thelancet.com) 1st September 2002