title: Enhanced external counterpulsation has no lasting effect on ambulatory blood pressure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) has been reported to reduce blood pressure (BP) using clinic BP readings. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a course of EECP on BP using ambulatory BP (ABP) measurements.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  EECP has a lasting BP lowering effect.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients referred for EECP due to refractory angina pectoris were consecutively included in the study. The ABPs were measured for 24 hours using a Spacelabs Ultralite 90217 device at 5 time points during the study period: 2 months before the EECP course, just before the EECP course, just after the EECP course, and at 3 and 12 months after EECP. Antihypertensive medication was held constant during the study period. Changes in BP were tested by repeated measures analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty patients were included in the study. The mean age was 63 years, and 72% were male. The Canadian Cardiovascular Society Angina Grading Scale class improved from a mean of 2.6 to 1.5. The mean daytime ABPs were 114/69, 114/70, 115/71, 114/70, and 116/71 mm Hg and the mean nighttime ABPs were 107/63, 108/63, 106/62, 108/63, and 107/62 mm Hg at 2 months before the EECP course, just before the EECP course, just after the EECP course, and at 3 and 12 months after EECP, respectively (all P > 0.10). Further, when controlling for quartiles of baseline ABP level, no significant change in ABP was found.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Enhanced external counterpulsation treatment has no lasting effect on ABP.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Region Hospital Herning, Herning, Denmark. ole_may@yahoo.dk
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: Wael Abdulla Mohammed
authors.initials: WA
authors.lastname: Khair
mesh_terms: D000787:Angina Pectoris / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D018660:Blood Pressure Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D015908:Counterpulsation / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome