Long-term prognosis of patients with angina treated with enhanced externalcounterpulsation: Five-year follow-up study

Background: Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a noninvasive trea tment for coronary artery disease (CAD) that has been used successfully in patients not responding to medical and/or surgical therapy. Hypothesis: The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of EECP on long -term prognosis in such patients. Methods: Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were tracked in 33 pati ents with CAD treated with EECP. Patients were subgrouped based on whether or not they demonstrated an early improvement in radionuclide stress perfus ion imaging (Responders vs. Nonresponders) and followed for MACE over a mea n follow-up of 5 years. Patient population characteristics included 73% wit h multivessel disease; 45% with prior myocardial infarction(s); and 61% who had undergone either coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or percutaneou s transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), or both. Results: There were 26 of 33 (79%) Responders, and 7 of 33 (21%) Nonrespond ers. Subsequent MACE over the 5-year follow-up included four deaths and eig ht patients with cardiovascular events [acute myocardial infarct (4), new C ABG or PTCA (6), valve replacement (1), unstable angina (1)]. Nonresponders had significantly (p < 0.01) more MACE (6/7 or 86%) than Responders (6/26 or 23%). Overall, 21 of the 33 (64%) patients remained alive and without MA CE and the need for revascularization 5 years post EECP treatment. Conclusion: This study suggests that, particularly for the majority of pati ents demonstrating improvement in radionuclide stress perfusion post treatm ent, EECP may be an effective long-term therapy.