Novel possibilities in the treatment of patients with heart failure. The method of external counterpulsation

Abstract To assess effect of programmed external counterpulsation (ECP) on clinico-functional status, quality of life of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) of ischemic origin, stable functional class (FC) II-IV angina refractory to drug therapy. Patients (n=30) with ischemic heart disease (IHD) stable FC II-IV angina (mean age 65.5 +/- 7.9 years) went though complete curative course of ECP which included 35 1-hour procedures 5-6 times a week. Signs of CHF NYHA FC I-II were noted in 18, FC III-IV - in 12 patients. In 8 patients left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) did not exceed 35%. Methods of investigation used before and after course of ECP included clinical examination, echoCG, VEM-test, perfusion myocardial scintigraphy with 99MTc-MIBI, 24-hour ECG monitoring, assessment of quality of life with the use of Minnesota questionnaire and of dynamics of plasma content of natriuretic peptides (pro-ANP and pro-BNP) measured by immunoenzyme assay. Absolute majority of patients noted improvement of self feeling with significant (p