ABSTRACT
Medical management continues to play an essential role in the treatment of patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD), particularly in patients with stable CAD and in a subgroup of patients who, for various reasons, are not suitable candidates for a revascularization procedure. β-blockers are considered as fi rst-line therapy as they combine anti-anginal properties with survival benefi t. Nitrates and calcium-channel blockers are useful as adjuncts to β-blockade or when β-blockade fails or is poorly tolerated. Novel agents have become available that may prove useful where conventional anti-anginal agents have failed or are poorly tolerated. In this chapter we review the main categories of anti-ischemic drugs and the current guidelines for their use in the various clinical presentations of CAD.
