Abstract:Objective To observe the efficacy and safety of enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) therapy on cardiac function of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). Methods A total of 240 CHF patients admitted in our department from January 2015 to January 2017 were recruited in this study. The patients were randomly divided into EECP group and control group, with 120 patients in each group. The patients of both groups were routinely treated according to the guidelines, and those from the EECP group were given EECP therapy. Heart rate, 6-min walking test, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) level, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and Tei index were measured before and after treatment, and the results and incidences of adverse reactions were compared between the 2 groups. SPSS statistics 16.0 was used to perform the statistical analysis. Student’s t test or Chi-square test was employed for comparison between groups according to data types. Results Heart rate, 6-min walking distance, BNP level, LVEF and Tei index were improved in both groups after treatment (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the EECP group showed significantly lower heart rate [(76.4±4.5) vs (80.7±5.7) beats/min], BNP level [(1309.0±1497.2) vs (2196.1±2586.6) pg/ml], and Tei index [(0.59±0.10) vs (0.62±0.11)], but prolonged 6-min walking distance [(446.20±31.92) vs (407.69±34.80) m] and increased LVEF [(47.9±2.8)% vs (47.1±3.5)%] after treatment (P<0.05). But no difference was seen in the adverse reactions between 2 groups (5.8% vs 6.7%, P>0.05). Conclusion EECP therapy improves the cardiac function in CHF patients.