Patients in CCS Class III experienced significantly higher inactivity rates compared to Class I and II, with 26% of Class III being inactive versus 7.7% and 19.3%.
In a Serbian national cohort of newly diagnosed stable angina patients, most presented with CCS Class II symptoms and were frequently treated with beta-blockers, trimetazidine, and calcium channel blockers.
Background. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a condition marked by the build-up of fatty deposits known as atherosclerotic plaque within the coronary arteries, which may or may not completely block these arteries. Stable angina refers to consistent episodes of angina over a period of 3 to 6 months. Methods. The main aim of our study was to collect epidemiological data concerning newly diagnosed patients with stable angina pectoris, including details about their treatments, acquire up-to-date information regarding the extent of control achieved in managing stable angina pectoris, and gather insights into patient adherence to prescribed treatments and therapies for stable angina pectoris. This national observational study was conducted in February and March 2023 in Serbia. Results. Out of 810 patients, a total number of 796 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria for the study. The mean age was 67.3±9.8 years and 52.9% were women. At the time of screening 89.2% of patients had angina or angina equivalent symptoms. A total of 476 (59.9%) patients had a family history of coronary artery disease (CAD), 720 (90.6%) had hypertension (HTA), 305 (38.9%) had diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2), and 595 (77.5%) had dyslipidemia. Among patients, 32.2% were in Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) Class I, nearly half of them (47.3%) were in class II and 19.3% were in Class III. Most of the patients with high levels of total cholesterol, HDL, LDL and triglycerides (high-risk groups) were in CCS class III. The most frequently used combination of anti-anginal drugs in patients (26.7%) was beta-blockers (BB), trimetazidine and calcium channel blockers (CCA) (90.5%, 85.4%, 53.4% respectively). Patients with CCS class III had the highest frequency of usage of long-acting nitrates, oral anticoagulants, diuretics, digoxin, and its derivates. There was a significantly higher percentage of patients without any physical activity in Class III compared with class I and II (26% vs 7.7% and 19.3%, p0.001). Furthermore, patients with any level of physical activity (mild, moderate or intensive) were mostly classified as CCS class I. Conclusion. In summary, our results correlated with findings from similar studies and registries. These findings could serve as a basis for the further improvement of the treatment of these patients in Serbia.
Stojković et al. (2024) studied this question. Patients in CCS Class III experienced significantly higher inactivity rates compared to Class I and II, with 26% of Class III being inactive versus 7.7% and 19.3%.