Key result
Enhanced external counterpulsation significantly increased the responder rate for exercise duration (P=0.008) and peak oxygen consumption (P=0.017) in heart failure patients aged 65 years or older.
Why the study?
Does enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy improve exercise duration and peak oxygen consumption in elderly patients (≥65 years) with chronic, stable, mild-to-moderate heart failure?
RCT
Does enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy improve exercise duration and peak oxygen consumption in elderly patients (≥65 years) with chronic, stable, mild-to-moderate heart failure?
p-value: p=0.008 (exercise duration); 0.017 (peak oxygen consumption)
In older patients (≥65 years) with mild-to-moderate heart failure, EECP therapy significantly improves both exercise duration and peak oxygen consumption at 6 months.
Supports EECP consideration in elderly stable HF to improve exercise capacity; extends RCT evidence to patients ≥65 years.
The Prospective Evaluation of Enhanced External Counterpulsation in Congestive Heart Failure (PEECH) trial demonstrated that enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) therapy increased exercise duration and improved functional status and quality of life without affecting peak oxygen consumption. The authors present data from a prespecified subgroup of elderly patients (65 years or older) enrolled in the PEECH trial. The 2 co-primary end points were the percentage of subjects with a >60-second increase in exercise duration and the percentage of subjects with a >1.25-mL/kg/min increase in peak volume of oxygen consumption. At 6-month follow-up, the exercise responder rate was significantly higher in EECP patients compared with controls (P=.008). Further, in contrast to the overall PEECH study, the EECP group demonstrated a significantly higher responder rate for peak oxygen consumption (P=.017). The authors conclude that an older subgroup of PEECH subjects confirms the beneficial effect of EECP in patients with chronic, stable, mild-to-moderate heart failure.
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Abbottsmith et al. (2006) conducted an RCT in chronic, stable, mild-to-moderate heart failure. Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) vs. controls was evaluated on Percentage of subjects with a >60-second increase in exercise duration and percentage of subjects with a >1.25-mL/kg/min increase in peak volume of oxygen consumption (p=0.008 (exercise duration); 0.017 (peak oxygen consumption)). Enhanced external counterpulsation significantly increased the responder rate for exercise duration (P=0.008) and peak oxygen consumption (P=0.017) in heart failure patients aged 65 years or older.
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