Between 25,000 and 75,000 new cases of angina refractory to maximal medical therapy and standard coronary revascularization procedures are diagnosed each year. In addition, heart failure also places an enormous burden on the U.S. health care system, with an estimated economic impact ranging from $20 billion to more than $50 billion per year. The technique of counterpulsation, studied for almost...

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a non-invasive outpatient treatment used for angina pectoris. In patients with intractable angina refractory to aggressive surgical and medical treatment, several novel strategies are considered including EECP, transmural laser revascularisation, and spinal cord stimulation. EECP produces an acute haemodynamic effect that is presumed to be similar to...

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive outpatient therapy for the treatment of chronic angina. EECP treatment produces an acute hemodynamic effect that is similar to that produced by the invasive intra-aortic balloon pump. Three sets of cuffs on the upper thigh, lower thigh, and calves of each leg are inflated with compressed air during the diastolic phase of the cardiac cyc...

In the United States, there are about 17.6 million patients suffer from symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD), affecting 7.9% of adults ≥ 20 years of age.1 An estimated 10.2 million patients have angina, and 500,000 patients will develop new angina pectoris each year.1 A subset of angina patients are categorized as refractory when symptoms continue despite optimal medical therapy and revasc...

OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to examine the effect of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) on endothelial function. BACKGROUND Enhanced external counterpulsation improves symptoms and exercise tolerance in patients with symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD). However, the exact mechanisms by which this technique exerts its clinical benefit are unclear. METHODS Reactive hype...

BACKGROUND Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a novel, potentially beneficial adjunct therapy used for angina pectoris. We assessed the efficacy of this method in relieving angina and improving objective measures of myocardial ischaemia. METHODS All patients (67) who referred for EECP to Shahid Chamran Hospital, Isfahan, Iran from 2002 to 2005 were included. Demographic data, corona...

BACKGROUND Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) treatment can improve exercise tolerance in patients with ischemic heart disease; however, the possible benefits of EECP in patients with stable heart failure (HF) and left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) are unclear. An open pilot study showed significant increases in exercise tolerance in HF patients undergoing EECP. Thus a larger, controlled...