173 patients, aged 46.8 years on the average, were examined in the first 3 months after onset of angina pectoris. 97% of them presented at least one of risk factors (smoking, arterial hypertension, overweight, dyslipoproteinaemia), in 79% two or more risk factors were present simultaneously. A greater than 70% stenosis of one coronary artery was present in 51%, in 10% the stenosis was smaller than 70%, in 4% the coronary arteries were intact. In 131 patients without a history of myocardial infarction, vasospastic angina, overweight, and simultaneous presence of 3 or 4 risk factors occurred more frequently than in 42 patients with a history of myocardial infarction. In the first month, complications were registered only in patients with unstable angina pectoris (5 out of 41, i.e., 12%). During the later period of follow-up in 102 patients, complications occurred in 5% and complete clinical remission was registered in 35%. In patients with remission, positive exercise tests and haemodynamically significant stenoses of 2 or 3 coronary arteries were less frequently found on initial examination than in patients with sustained angina pectoris.

Institute of Preventive Cardiology USSR Cardiology Research Centre Academy of Medical Sciences of USSR Moscow