Persistent Cardiac Pain: A Burgeoning Science Requiring a New Approach

摘要

As survival rates from coronary artery disease (CAD) increase, the prevalence of persistent cardiac pain-related conditions is on the rise. Tens of thousands of Canadians seek emergency services and/or are referred for diagnostic coronary catheteriza-tions (CATH) each year to investigate sources of chest pain. Of these, a considerable percentage suffer from persistent cardiac pain, which is generally poorly understood and difficult to treat. Persistent forms of cardiac pain are debilitating and require an understanding of the interplay of ischemic, metabolic, and neuropathophysiologic mechanisms contributing to these clinical problems.