Cleansing the augean stables - Time to reclassify coronary artery disease

Although there have been spectacular developments in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease (CAD), the diagnostic terminology has not evolved accordingly. The present diagnostic terms are symptom, complication, and electrocardiogram based instead of the causative pathology. In the present era of excellent therapies, angina and infarction need not occur. When our efforts are directed at preventing these ill effects of CAD, the present diagnostic terms seem anachronistic. This article presents a simple, logical, and practical approach to CAD terminology.