The Effects of Enhanced External Counterpulsation on Cardiac Electrophysiologic Properties ofPatients with Ischemic Heart Disease and Refractory Angina at Function Class II-III

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive circulatory assist device thathas been recently emerged as a treatment option for refractory angina or left ventricular(LV) dysfunction. The aims of this study were to examine the effects of EECP on theelecrocardiographic parameters and the heart rate variability indices of patients with thecoronary heart disease and function class II-III angina resistant to medication. In adescriptive study, the patients who presented with sever angina at function class II-IIIwere studied. Those meeting the inclusion criteria were invited to participate and providedinformed consent. The standard enhanced external counterpulsation treatment (35 one-hour procedures 5-6 times a week) was done. Thirty minute ambulatoryelectrocardiographic monitoring and electrocardiogram before starting and at the end oftreatment sessions were done. Data entry and analysis of data was done finally. Twentyfive patients with mean age 68±9 year including 21(84%) men and 4(16%) women wereenrolled in this study. Electocardiogarphic parameters before and after treatment by EECPwere not different statistically. Time domain indices of heart rate variability according toambulatory monitoring findings were not changed significantly. Results of this studyrevealed that EECP didn’t improve the electrocardiographic and heart rate variabilityparameters of ischemic heart disease patients with refractory angina at function class II orIII.