This technique dates back to the 1950s but has become the subject of intense research lately. It offers a method of relieving angina without resorting to medication or surgery. It is not known exactly why it works, but people believe it promotes the development of new blood vessels in the heart that grow around the blocked arteries.
Compressive cuffs are wrapped around the patient's calves, lower thighs and upper thighs. The cuffs inflate sequentially when the heart is filling with blood and deflate when the heart is ejecting blood. This increases the blood flow into the arteries of the heart and reduces the workload of the heart. The procedure is well tolerated by patients.
Patients are treated for one hour at a time for 35 sessions-usually 5 time a week for seven weeks. The most recent studies suggest that patients will experience some improvement in their angina and less abnormalities on their stress tests after undergoing this procedure. It is also beneficial for the treatment of congestive heart failure.
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