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Angina - stable - Management
How should I review someone with established angina?
- Review the person every 6 months to 1 year depending on the stability of their angina and their comorbidities.
- Check for ongoing symptoms of angina (at rest or with exercise):
- Assess cardiovascular disease risk and identify any modifiable cardiovascular risk factors:
- Check for any complications of angina or treatment:
- Check the person's heart rate and blood pressure.
- Check for signs and symptoms of heart failure (for example breathlessness, fatigue, or ankle swelling).
- Screen for low mood or depression using the two questions:
- During the past month, have you often been bothered by feeling down, depressed, or hopeless?
- During the past month, have you often been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things?
- Check compliance, and identify and manage drug interactions and complications of treatment (see Prescribing information).
- Review the person's medication.
- If the person is taking treatment for symptom control, ensure that they are taking a beta-blocker (unless this is contraindicated or not tolerated).
- Ensure that the person is taking aspirin and a statin (unless these are contraindicated or not tolerated).
- Consider whether an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor is indicated.
- See Drug treatment for further information.
- Provide information on angina.
- Provide written information (if this has not already been given).
- Explain when to seek further medical advice (such as worsening symptoms).
- For more information on patient education, see www.bhf.org.uk.
Basis for recommendation
- CKS found no evidence or guidelines on either the frequency or format of follow up and review for people with stable angina.
- Recommendations for the frequency of review are based on the opinion of CKS expert reviewers.
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