Guidelines in review: Comparison of ESC and ACC/AHA guidelines for the diagnosis and management of patients with stable coronary artery disease

In 2012, the American College of Cardiology Foundation (ACCF) and the American Heart Association (AHA) Task Force on Practice Guidelines jointly with the American College of Physicians, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and Society of Thoracic Surgeons produced a set of recommendations intended to assist physicians in the diagnosis and management of patients with stable ischemic heart disease. Two years later, a focused update on the 2012 guidelines was published. A year before this update, The Task Force on the management of stable coronary artery disease (CAD) of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) issued a guideline on the management of stable CAD. This document brings together European and American recommendations that include the use of stress testing and non-invasive imaging for the diagnosis and management of patients with known or suspected stable CAD.