Patient discussions

Patient education should include some explanation of the disease process in addition to individualized discussion of lifestyle, medical, and procedural treatment options. To allow for shared decision-making, patients should be apprised of potential benefits and risks. Patient education may be particularly important in promoting uptake of lifestyle and pharmacologic interventions that improve prognosis without immediately altering symptoms.

Education should also include complications of coronary disease, concerning symptoms, and when to seek care for these (e.g., to seek emergency care for angina that does not resolve rapidly with rest and/or nitroglycerin as it may be indicative of myocardial infarction).

It can also be valuable to ask patients about any fears, lest the diagnosis of chronic coronary disease cause excess worry or needlessly limit important activities. Patients with stable angina should be educated on the appropriate use of as-needed sublingual nitroglycerin before or during exertion.

Patient education is endorsed by guidelines.[23][26]​​ When education is delivered as part of cardiac rehabilitation, there is limited evidence of improvement in quality of life as well as selected health behaviors and outcomes.[250][251] [ Cochrane Clinical Answers logo ]

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