Ischaemic heart disease: disability and costs.

Ischaemic heart disease is responsible for a considerable part of chronic pain in society, and is mainly due to angina pectoris. Improvements in pain relief and treatment continue to be developed, and are likely to improve and become cheaper in the future. Prevention is also of great importance for both individuals and society, and is proving cost-effective. However, we have still to learn much about its complex nature.