What should doctors tell their patients about COURAGE?

Action Points

• Explain to patients that this study compared optimal medical management versus stenting in patients with chronic stable angina. The findings did not extend to patients with acute coronary syndrome.
  
  
• Explain to patients that on the basis of current evidence, stenting does not reduce mortality or prevent myocardial infarctions in patients with chronic stable angina but it does provide rapid relief of symptoms.