ECP Therapy Now Available at Cloudberry

Cloudberry is now offering in-clinic External Counterpulsation (ECP) therapy, approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat refractory angina, heart failure, and acute myocardial infarction; it has shown promise in several “off-label” applications, too.

ECP is a non-invasive treatment that applies pressure to blood vessels with inflating cuffs on your legs. The pressure increases blood flow back to your heart, and when your heart pumps better, symptoms ease. After several treatments, ECP can also encourage blood vessels to open new pathways for blood to flow to your heart. The new pathways eventually become "natural bypass" vessels that help relieve symptoms of angina if coronary arteries are narrowed or blocked.

What to expect

ECP therapy is available in our offices at 1650 Hospital Drive; a typical session will last about one hour.

During the therapy, you relax on a padded table while fitted with EKG and blood pressure monitors. As air fills cuffs around your legs, you'll feel the cuffs grow tighter until they reach full treatment pressure. The system will synchronize with your heartbeat: the cuffs inflate as your heart rests, increasing blood supply to the arteries that deliver blood to your heart, and quickly deflate to make it easier for your heart to pump again.

Once you get used to the sensation, it can be quite comfortable, and you can return to your regular daily routine immediately afterward.

Off-Label Treatment

Besides the approved, “on-label” applications, ECP has also shown promise as “off-label” treatment of long COVID, depression and anxiety, as well as for athletes looking to improve their cardio-pulmonary function, especially in high altitude conditions.

• Long COVID: Emerging data suggest that ECP may decrease fatigue, improve exercise tolerance and other cardiovascular-related symptoms in patients with long COVID, enabling some to return to work.
  

• Mental health: ECP has been demonstrated to significantly improve patient-reported outcomes in terms of anxiety, depression and overall quality of life.
  

• Athletic performance: By improving blood flow to the heart and optimizing circulation throughout the body, ECP has been shown to boost endurance, recovery and overall sports performance.

ECP is likely covered under insurance for FDA-approved uses. Ask your provider for details - and for additional information, see these studies on the efficacy of ECP therapy:

M-ECP Trial: The first randomized controlled study to evaluate ECP, showing ECP can reduce angina and prolong time to ischemia in symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD).

International ECP Patient Registry (IEPR): Large multicenter observational data (>5,000 patients) confirming long-term benefits in severe angina and left ventricular dysfunction, including improved angina class, reduced nitroglycerin use, and decreased hospitalizations at 2-year follow-up.

PEECH Trial (Prospective Evaluation of ECP in Heart Failure): Controlled, randomized, multicenter trial of 187 patients with stable heart failure showing improvements in exercise tolerance, quality of life and NYHA class after ECP therapy.

ECP for Chronic Heart Failure: Multiple small pilot studies confirming safety and showing increased exercise capacity and improved functional/status markers in HF with both ischemic and non-ischemic origins, though larger studies are encouraged for nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

ECP outcomes in Long COVID: Small clinical cohort showing improved fatigue and cardiovascular parameters in 16 patients with post-acute COVID syndrome.

ECP in Chronic Insomnia and Angina: Clinical study data indicating ECP may improve anxiety and depression in subjects with angina and chronic insomnia.