Effect of enhanced external counterpulsation on heart rate variability in ischemic stroke patients: a pre-and post-interventional study protocol

Background: Stroke is a prominent cause of mortality as well as disability globally. More than 40% of stroke survivors experience complications that last a lifetime. Following an ischemic stroke (IS), abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system (ANS) may influence the probability of another stroke and the healing process. Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is a safe, effective, non-invasive treatment method that enhances blood circulation to the brain and manages ischemic cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. There is a limited amount of literature exploring the effects of EECP on HRV specifically on stroke patients. Hence, the study aims to determine the impact of EECP on HRV in IS patients. Methods: This single arm pre and post intervention study recruits 35 out of 45 subjects. The intervention will be given 5 days/week/45 minutes a session for 35 sessions. Pre-and post-intervention outcome measures will be measured. After collecting the data, statistical analysis will be done. Conclusion: The application of EECP may be unlikely to cause any adverse effects in ischemic stroke patients, indicating that EECP may be a safe and effective treatment to improve hand grip strength and QOL in ischemic stroke patients. Trial registration: Clinical trials (CTRI): CTRI/2023/11/060112.