title: Comparison of patients undergoing enhanced external counterpulsation and percutaneous coronary intervention for stable angina pectoris.
abstract: Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) has recently emerged as a treatment option for angina in selected patients suitable for revascularization with percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). We compared baseline characteristics and 1-year outcome in 2 cohorts of PCI candidates presenting with stable symptoms: 323 patients treated with EECP in the International EECP Patient Registry (IEPR), and 448 NHLBI Dynamic Registry patients treated with elective PCI. Compared with patients receiving PCI, IEPR patients had a higher prevalence of many risk factors including prior PCI (53.0% vs 33.3%, p <0.001), prior coronary artery bypass grafting (42.1% vs 18.6%, p <0.001), prior myocardial infarction (56.4% vs 27.8%, p <0.001), history of congestive heart failure (16.8% vs 9.2%, p <0.01), and history of diabetes (37.9% vs 23.5%, p <0.001). Left ventricular ejection fraction was lower among IEPR patients (mean 50.3% vs 59.2%, p <0.001). At 1 year, survival was comparable in the 2 cohorts (98.7% IEPR vs 96.8% PCI, p = NS), as were rates of coronary artery bypass grafting during follow-up (4.5% IEPR vs 5.7% PCI, p = NS). At 1 year, 43.7% of IEPR patients reported no anginal symptoms compared with 73.4% of Dynamic Registry patients (p <0.001). Rates of severe symptoms (Canadian Cardiovascular Society class III, IV, or unstable) at 1 year were 15.5% among IEPR patients and 9.5% in the Dynamic Registry (p = 0.02). PCI candidates suitable for and treated with EECP had 1-year major event rates comparable to patients receiving elective PCI. Although PCI was associated with substantially lower rates of 1-year symptoms, EECP may be a safe treatment option for selected patients with obstructive coronary disease.
authors: Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Holubkov
authors: Elizabeth D
authors: ED
authors: Kennard
authors: John M
authors: JM
authors: Foris
authors: Sheryl F
authors: SF
authors: Kelsey
authors: Ozlem
authors: O
authors: Soran
authors: David O
authors: DO
authors: Williams
authors: David R
authors: DR
authors: Holmes
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000601:surgery*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D015908:Counterpulsation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011157:Population Dynamics; D012008:Recurrence; D012042:Registries; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome