Coronary Artery Disease: Stress Testing, Follow-up and Referral

摘要

Coronary artery disease remains aleading health problem in the UnitedStates. It accounts for major morbidityand mortality among men and women.The National Heart, Lung and BloodInstitute (NHLBI) reports that one infour deaths annually is directly caused bycoronary artery disease.1 How we diagnoseand treat coronary artery disease is a commonconcern for primary care physicians.While this review will not address thesocial concerns that arise when normalaging is defined as “disease,” it will addressthree common questions that arise in thecourse of routine practice. First, whatform of functional testing, (imaging vs.non-imaging) should be used in patientassessment? Second, how do we follow patientswith stable coronary artery disease?Third, when should patients be referredto a cardiology subspecialist?