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Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is used commonly to ameliorate symptoms in patients with stable angina, but what if part of its effectiveness is placebo mediated? In a British study (ORBITA), 230 patients with ischemic symptoms and severe (≥70% occluded) single-vessel disease were randomized to PCI or sham procedures under sedation after 6 weeks of medication optimization. Patients were assessed with cardiopulmonary exercise testing, dobutamine echocardiography, and symptom and quality-of-life questionnaires both before and after procedures. After 6 weeks of follow-up, patients in the PCI group exercised a mean 28 seconds longer than before their procedures, versus 12 seconds longer in the placebo group — a nonsignificant differenc…