Unstable Angina in the Era of Cardiac Troponin Assays with Improved Sensitivity-A Clinical Dilemma

The diagnosis of unstable angina is still commonly used, even in the era of more sensitive cTn assays. Minor cTnT elevation is common, which makes unstable angina difficult to distinguish from NSTEMI. Patients with unstable angina have a nonneglectable cardiovascular risk. We suggest that the clinical management of patients presenting with unstable symptoms should depend on their estimated cardiovascular risk rather than on strictly applied diagnostic criteria.