The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has issued a clinical guideline for the management of patients with stable angina. Key clinical issues covered by the guideline are as follows:

• Non-invasive and invasive assessments to assess functional status, underlying disease, prognosis and plan management

• Education programmes for people with angina (and carers and families as appropriate) that aim to help patients understand and manage their condition. They include self care, symptom management, medication management and lifestyle interventions

• Psychological interventions for symptom relief and to improve long-term outcomes

• Pharmacological interventions for symptom relief and to improve long-term outcomes

• Revascularisation strategies for symptom relief and to improve long-term outcomes

• Specialised interventions for symptom relief, for example transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), temporary or destructive sympathectomy, and enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP)

• Rehabilitation programmes

• Cardiac syndrome X

In terms of pharmacological interventions, the guideline covers the following:

• Short-acting nitrates

• Beta-blockers vs. calcium-channel blockers

• Combination of beta-blockers and calcium-channel blockers

• Long-acting nitrates

• Other anti-anginal drugs such as ranolazine, ivabradine, nicorandil

Please see link for details.