For certain conditions for which inadequate data are available, recommendations are based on expert consensus and clinical experience and are ranked as LOE C. When recommendations at LOE C are supported by historical clinical data, appropriate references (including clinical reviews) are cited if available. For issues about which sparse data are available, a survey of current practice among the clinicians on the writing committee is the basis for LOE C recommenda- tions, and no references are cited. The schema for COR and LOE is summarized in Table 1, which also provides suggested phrases for writing recommendations within each COR. A new addition to this methodology is separation of the Class III recommenda- tions to delineate whether the recommendation is determined to be of no benefit or is associated with harm to the patient. In addition, in view of the increasing number of comparative- effectiveness studies, comparator verbs and suggested phrases for writing recommendations for the comparative effectiveness of one treatment or strategy versus another have been added for COR I and IIa, LOE A or B only. In view of the advances in medical therapy across the spec- trum of cardiovascular diseases, the Task Force has desig- nated the term guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) to represent medical therapy that is strongly recommended by (primarily Class I and IIa) ACC/AHA guidelines. The term, GDMT, will be used herein. It is anticipated that what Fihn et al 2014 Stable Ischemic Heart Disease Focused Update 1751 currently constitutes GDMT will evolve over time as new therapies and evidence emerge. Because the ACC/AHA practice guidelines address patient populations (and healthcare providers) residing in North America, drugs that are currently unavailable in NorthAmerica are discussed in the text without a specific COR. 