The effect of enhanced external counterpulsation on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction in the elderly / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the effect of enhanced external counterpulsation(EECP)on heart failure with preserved ejection fraction(HFpEF)and hemodynamics in elderly patients.Methods:Clinical data of 66 elderly HFpEF patients admitted to the enhanced external counterpulsation center of our hospital from January 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.The primary assessment parameter was the six-minute walk distance, and the secondary parameters included the Minnesota Living with Heart Failure Questionnaire(MLHFQ). Noninvasive hemodynamic parameters including the cardiac index(CI), stroke volume(SV), isovolumic relaxation period(A2-mitral valve opening, A2-O), pulmonary capillary wedge pressure(PCWP)and total peripheral resistance(TPR)were monitored and mean arterial blood pressure(MAP)was calculated.Results:After EECP treatment, the six-minute walk distance increased(372±87 m vs.341±85 m, P<0.05), the score of MLHFQ decreased(47.0±16.0 vs.50.0±17.0, P<0.05), CI increased(2.8±0.7)L·min -1·m -2vs.(2.6±0.6)L·min -1·m -2( P<0.05), SV, PCWP and A2-O did not show significant change(73.3±16.4 ml vs.71.5±17.1 ml, 10.0±3.3 mmHg vs.11.0±3.6 mmHg, 1 mmHg=0.133 kPa, 98.0±29.5 ms vs.91.0±29.1 ms, P>0.05), TPR decreased(1 719.0±427.0 DS/cm 5vs.1 821.0±508.0 DS/cm 5, P<0.05), and there was no significant change in MAP(96.9±10.7 mmHg vs.98.8±13.1 mmHg, P>0.05), compared with pre-EECP treatment levels.Compared with patients without hypertension, MAP decreased in patients with hypertension(14 cases), when stratified by the initial MAP( P<0.05). Conclusions:For elderly patients with HFpEF, EECP can increase the six-minute walk distance, improve the quality of life and hemodynamic parameters, and is a safe adjuvant treatment.