Does percutaneous coronary intervention improve quality of life in patients with stable ischemic heart disease?
This consensus statement highlights that PCI significantly improves quality of life and reduces angina in patients with stable ischemic heart disease, emphasizing the need to incorporate QoL metrics into clinical decision-making and guidelines.
Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) decreases ischemic complications of acute coronary syndromes. The benefits of PCI in stable ischemic heart disease (SIHD) depend on its effect on quality of life (QoL), including angina, physical activity, and emotional well-being. PCI decreases angina and the need for anti-anginal medications, and increases exercise capacity and QoL, compared with baseline status and compared with medical therapy without PCI. These benefits are greater when QOL is markedly impaired by severe angina before the procedure. When considering treatment options for symptomatic SIHD, physicians should consider and provide objective data regarding QoL effects for each treatment strategy. QoL outcomes should be considered in clinical trials, appropriate use criteria, practice guidelines, and reimbursement policies for PCI.
Blankenship et al. (2012) studied this question.