Safety and effectiveness of Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) in Refractory Angina Patients: Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis

Enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) is believed to be a non-invasive treatment for coronary artery disease and angina. The aim of this study was to determine the safety and effectiveness of EECP in refractory angina patients through a systematic reviews and meta-analysis. We conducted a comprehensive search of the literature published on PubMed, Cochrane library, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Trip Database and Google Scholar databases using appropriate keywords and specific strategy with no time limit. Having selected and screened the studies based on the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria and evaluating their quality based on the Cochrane checklist. For the meta-analysis,the Mantel-Haenszel method or the generic Inverse Variance was used. Analyses were done with Review Manager 5.2 software. A number of 299 studies were initially reviewed and finally, seventeen studies were included in the meta-analysis based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Also, thirteen outcomes were analyzed and the results of meta-analysis in twelve outcomes including (Systolic Blood Pressure (7 studies), Diastolic Blood Pressure (7 studies), Pulse Pressure (4 studies), Mean Arterial Pressures (4 studies), Heart Rate (6 studies), Angina episodes (7 studies), Walking distance (2 studies),Canadian Cardiovascular Society classification (6 studies), Flow-Mediated Dilation (3 studies), Daily Nitrate Usage (4 studies), Exercise Treadmill Test-Time (2 studies), ST-segment depression (2 studies)demonstrated a significant clinical advantage in the EECP treatment effectiveness in patients with angina. No significant difference was observed regarding EECP usefulness (P = 0.18) in the outcome of brachial artery diameter (2 studies). Based on the meta-analysis, the results indicate the safety and effectiveness of EECP in patients with angina pectoris and indicate the usefulness of this treatment in these patients. In general, the authors believe that the general conclusion in this regard requires some studies with a large sample size and a control group assignment.

P.149 Spinal Cord Stimulation for Refractory Angina

Background: Refractory angina is defined as a chronic condition characterized by the presence of angina due to coronary insufficiency which cannot be controlled by a combination of medical therapy, angioplasty and coronary bypass surgery. Prevalence in the United States is estimated to be between 300,000-900,000. Spinal cord stimulation for refractory angina pain relief was first described in 1987 but is still not widely used in North America. We report our experience with this treatment. Methods: A retrospective review of patients referred to the St Pauls Hospital neuromodulation program for consideration of SCS for refractory angina was conducted. Patients underwent implantation using a either a two stage approach (percutaneous or permanent lead trial followed by full system implantation) or full system implantation. Results: Bewtween 2004-2020 36 patients underwent full system implantation (2 patients failed the trial and were not implanted). Of the 36 patients undergoing full system implantation, 33 (92%) experienced significant reduction of angina, increased exercise tolerance and/or medication reduction and were considered successful implantation. Most common lead placement location was at C7 T1. Conclusions: Spinal cord stimulation is an effective therapy for patients suffering from crippling angina pain despite medical optimization.

Real world experience with coronary sinus reducer implantation for the treatment of refractory angina: a single-centre experience

Background Coronary sinus Reducer device (CSF) implantation is a novel therapeutic option to relieve symptoms in patients with refractory angina (RA). There is limited real-world data describing its use outside of clinical trials. Aim To assess the safety and efficacy of this procedure in a real-world setting. Methods This is a report of a single centre prospective registry of consecutive patients with RA (CCS II-IV) deemed unsuitable for revascularization. Between May 2017 and August 2019, 17 patients were referred to CSF implantation. Baseline and follow-up evaluation consisted of clinical assessment, including completion of the short version of the Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ-7) and CCS class evaluation and objective evaluation by transthoracic echocardiography and cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET). Results A total of 13 patients (70,6±6,5 years, 76,9% male) underwent CSF implantation with a procedural success of 84.6%. No cases of periprocedural serious adverse events were reported. At 12-month follow-up, any reduction in CCS Class was achieved in 72.7% of cases, with 27.2% reducing 2 CCS classes. Baseline CCS score was reduced from 2.8±0.4 to 1.7±0.8 (p=0.009). Quality of life (QoL) was significantly improved as assessed by the improvement seen in all items of SAQ-7 (p<0.017 for all). CPET duration was significantly increased (p=0.034), but no change was noted in the remainder CPET variables. During follow-up, 3 patients suffered myocardial infarction, resulting in 1 death. Conclusion CSF implantation in patients with RA was safe and led to a significant reduction of the angina burden and improvement of QoL at 12-month follow-up. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Son of a Lesser God: The Case of Cell Therapy for Refractory Angina

In the last decades, various non-pharmacological solutions have been tested on top of medical therapy for the treatment of patients affected by refractory angina (RA). Among these therapeutics, neuromodulation, external counter-pulsation and coronary sinus constriction have been recently introduced in the guidelines for the management of RA in United States and Europe. Notably and paradoxically, although a consistent body of evidence has proposed cell-based therapies (CT) as safe and salutary for RA outcome, CT has not been conversely incorporated into current international guidelines yet. As a matter of fact, published randomized controlled trials (RCT) and meta-analyses (MTA) cumulatively indicated that CT can effectively increase perfusion, physical function and well-being, thus reducing angina symptoms and drug assumption in RA patients. In this review, we (i) provide an updated overview of novel non-pharmacological therapeutics included in current guidelines for the management of patients with RA, (ii) discuss the Level of Evidence stemmed from available clinical trials for each recommended treatment, and (iii) focus on evidence-based CT application for the management of RA.