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Enhanced External Counterpulsation for angina
I suffer from Angina and have heard that in America, there is a new treatment called Enhanced External Counterpulsation which can improve my condition without any need for surgery. Can you tell me what it is and is it available in the UK?
Angina, also called angina pectoris, is a temporary chest pain and a sensation of pressure which happens when the heart is not getting enough oxygen. How much it needs depends, of course, on how hard it is working, how fast and how strong the beats are. When the arteries have become narrow or blocked, the blood flow to the muscle cannot increase to meet a greater demand for oxygen during, say, exercise. This leads to a condition called ischemia which is what causes the pain of angina.
Enhanced External Counterpulsation is not a new technique but it is has come under the spotlight again following trials which showed it not only helped agina sufferers but that the benefits lasted for three years. The technique has now been approved by the FDA in America and is undergoing further clinical trials.
First investigated in the 1950s, it involves increasing the blood flow to the heart, especially those areas that may not be getting enough oxygen and blood. Nobody can quite explain why it works but during a treatment session, which will last for an hour, compression cuffs are wrapped around the patient’s thighs and calves. These are inflated when the heart is filling with blood and deflated as it pumps blood. The theory is that the technique may actually promote the development of new blood vessels to supply those ischemic or blood-starved areas.
One or two treatments are recommended for five days a week and for up to seven weeks. So, if you do embark on this treatment, it is quite a big commitment. It is fully supported with clinical evidence and is currently offered by Vasogenics at the following three clinics in hospitals throughout the UK: The Yorkshire Clinic - Bradford, The Hull Nuffield Hospital - Hull, and The Alexandra Victoria Park - Manchester.