What the Landmark ORBITA Trial Means for Patients, Cardiologists and the Future of Heart  Disease Management A Landmark Study That Sent Shockwaves Through Cardiology On 2 November 2017, The Lancet, one of the world's most prestigious medical journals, published a landmark clinical trial that has challenged one of the most deeply held beliefs in modern cardiology. The study, known as ORBITA (Objective Randomised Blinded Investigation with Optimal Medical Therapy of Angioplasty in Stable Angina), has generated intense debate among cardiologists across the world and may ultimately reshape the management of patients with stable coronary artery disease. For nearly four decades, angioplasty has been considered the preferred treatment for relieving chest pain in patients with stable angina. Although previous clinical trials had already demonstrated that angioplasty does not reduce the risk of future heart attacks or improve survival in stable patients, many physicians continued to ...