Cardiac risk stratification in stable coronary artery disease

Abstract

Despite a gradually decreased mortality from cardiovascular diseases, including coronary artery disease (CAD), they remain the main cause of death in the world. In the coming decades, an increased prevalence of CAD is expected. While methods that are more sensitive are used to diagnose CAD and mortality of the acute forms decreases due to high-tech treatment methods, the prevalence of CAD chronic forms is gradually increasing. According to the modern clinical guidelines, examination and treatment of a particular patient with stable CAD depends on its prognosis, since only in high-risk patients myocardial revascularization can improve life prognosis, however, most patients receive unified therapy. Despite the fact that there are many prognostically significant factors, models and indices developed to assess the risk of death and cardiovascular complications in CAD, a unified approach to risk stratification does not currently exist. The article provides a literary review of how historically the main prognostically significant signs were identified (including clinical anamnestic and psychosocial characteristics, comorbidity, data of non-invasive instrumental studies such as electrocardiography, echocardiography, tests with dosed physical activity, invasive coronary angiography and some of the existing prognostic models and indices that can help a practitioner in stratifying the risk of cardiovascular complications in a patient with stable CAD.