NEW HEART ATTACK GUIDELINES ISSUED

Two physician groups want a 2-prongedapproach for chest pain or heart attacks due topartially blocked arteries. The American HeartAssociation and the American College ofCardiology have jointly issued new guidelinesbased on improved information about who mightbenefit from medical versus invasive therapy.The guidelines recommend that stable andlower-risk patients undergo a stress test, an echocardiogram, andother heart-function tests. These patients also should receivetherapies to thwart a second heart attack?for example, the useof angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and other drugs. Inaddition, more emphasis should be placed on smoking cessationand improved control of cholesterol and blood pressure.