Over a seven year period, 8.6% of 990 patients subjected to coronary arteriography because of angina pectoris were found to have normal coronary arteries (NCA). The subsequent histories of these patients were compared to those of a group of patients (N = 112) with coronary atherosclerosis (CAD). On average 44 months after coronary arteriography, 2.4% (NCA) had died versus 20.5% (CAD) (p < 0.001). Myocardial infarction had occurred in 0% (NCA) versus 12.8% (CAD) of the survivors (p < 0.001). Chest pain was unchanged or had worsened in 58.2% (NCA) versus 21.1% (CAD) (p < 0.001). Of the NCA patients, 33.3% had ischaemia during exercise-ECG. Three patients developed ischaemia during hyperventilation test. Eighty % (NCA) versus 63.9% (CAD) gave up work due to chest pain (p < 0.05). Further, 55.7% (NCA) versus 34.6% (CAD) had reduced daily activities (p < 0.01); similarly, the frequency of divorce was higher in the NCA group (10.2%) than in the CAD group (1.3%) (p < 0.05).