Enhanced external counterpulsation improves exercise duration and peak oxygen consumption in older patients with heart failure: a subgroup analysis of the PEECH trial.

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.

Enhanced external counterpulsation improves exercise tolerance in patients with chronic heart failure.

Objectives: The PEECH (Prospective Evaluation of Enhanced External Counterpulsation in Congestive Heart Failure) study assessed the benefits of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) in the treatment of patients with mild-to-moderate heart failure (HF).

Background: Enhanced external counterpulsation reduced angina symptoms and extended time to exercise-induced ischemia in patients with coronary artery disease, angina, and normal left ventricular function. A small pilot study and registry analysis suggested benefits in patients with HF.

Durable clinical benefit following Sr90 Beta irradiation therapy for in-stent restenosis in high-volume community practice.

Although randomized clinical trials have demonstrated efficacy of coronary irradiation versus placebo for the treatment of in-stent restenosis (ISR), durable long-term benefit in community practice is less well defined. From January 1, 2001, through June 30, 2002, consecutive percutaneous coronary intervention (n = 3,869) were analyzed at our center with a total of 330 patients undergoing coronary irradiation for ISR (53, Ir192; 12, P32; 265 Novoste Sr90). Novoste Sr90 was successfully performed in 265 of 270 (98%) of patients attempted by 10 operators.

Coronary perforation during percutaneous coronary intervention in the era of abciximab platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa blockade: an algorithm for percutaneous management.

Coronary perforation is an uncommon but potentially life-threatening complication of percutaneous coronary intervention. The use of both atheroablative technologies for coronary intervention and adjunctive platelet glycoprotein blockade pharmacology may increase the incidence of or risk for life-threatening bleeding complications following the occurrence of coronary artery perforation. The interventional database for 6,214 percutaneous coronary interventions performed between January 1995 and June 1999 was analyzed.

Therapeutic adjuncts for immediate transfer to the catheterization laboratory in patients with acute coronary syndromes.

Early coronary intervention in patients with non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (MI) and unstable angina may be made safer and more efficacious with concomitant therapies, including glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and low-molecular-weight heparins. Stent placement has been shown to improve procedural success and reduce major in-hospital complications when compared with balloon angioplasty alone in patients with unstable angina. However, unstable angina remains a major hazard for adverse coronary events in long-term follow-up after elective stent placement.