Medical and Surgical Management and Outcomes for Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a major cause of death and disability in developed countries. Although coronary artery disease mortality rates worldwide have declined over the past decades, CAD remains responsible for about one third or more of all deaths in individuals over the age of 35 years. Various methods of treatment have been proposed including medical therapy, catheter-based interventions, and lastly, coronary artery bypass grafting. The purpose of this chapter is to outline those treatment regimens and examine the literature detailing their outcomes in hopes of guiding treatment.