background: enhanced external counterpulsation (eecp) is a noninvasive technique used for patients with refractory angina pectoris. there are controversial data on the effectiveness of eecp in improving patients with refractory stable angina. the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of eecp for the treatment of patients with refractory angina pectoris. methods: ...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to assess safety and efficacy of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP). BACKGROUND Case series have shown that EECP can improve exercise tolerance, symptoms and myocardial perfusion in stable angina pectoris. METHODS A multicenter, prospective, randomized, blinded, controlled trial was conducted in seven university hospitals in 139 outpatients wi...

background: the complicated concept of quality of life (qol) has been considered as an important criterion for health outcomes in chronic diseases, such as heart disease, in recent years. the aim of this study was to evaluate the qol of patients with angina pectoris after treatment with enhanced external counterpulsation (eecp). methods and materials: this quasi-experimental study was conducted...

BACKGROUND Two-dimensional strain echocardiography detects early signs of left ventricular dysfunction; however, it is unknown whether myocardial strain analysis at rest in patients with suspected stable angina pectoris predicts the presence of coronary artery disease (CAD). METHODS AND RESULTS In total, 296 consecutive patients with clinically suspected stable angina pectoris, no previous ca...

BACKGROUND Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive technique used for patients with refractory angina pectoris. There are controversial data on the effectiveness of EECP in improving patients with refractory stable angina. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of EECP for the treatment of patients with refractory angina pectoris. METHODS ...

OBJECTIVES The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of short-term external counterpulsation (ECP) therapy on flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). BACKGROUND In patients with CAD, the vascular endothelium is usually impaired and modification or reversal of endothelial dysfunction may significantly enhance treatment. Although ECP therapy re...

Refractory angina pectoris, defined as angina refractory to maximal medical therapy and standard coronary revascularization procedures, remains a significant health problem in the United States and the world. Despite a panoply of recent therapeutic advances, patients with refractory angina pectoris are not adequately treated; therefore, scientists have been investigating new technologies to hel...

AIMS The mechanism by which enhanced external counterpulsation therapy exerts its beneficial effects on chronic and symptomatic stable angina is largely unknown. To clarify the mechanism of action of enhanced external counterpulsation, we used(13)N-ammonia positron emission tomography to evaluate myocardial perfusion. METHODS AND RESULTS This was not a randomized controlled study. Eleven pati...

We assessed the long-term outcomes of enhanced external counterpulsation in relieving angina and improving the quality of life in a large cohort of patients with chronic angina pectoris. Seventy-three percent had a reduction by > or =1 angina class at the end of treatment, and 50% reported an improvement in the quality-of-life assessment after enhanced external counterpulsation; these results w...