Refractory Angina Frequencies during 7 weeks Treatment by Enhanced External Counterpulsation in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with and without Diabetes

BACKGROUND: Refractory angina is a clinical diagnosis which implies to chronic pain due to coronary artery insufficiency and it is often resistant to routine cardiac treatment. The present study conducted to compare changes in refractory angina frequencies during 7 weeks treatment by enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with and without diabetes. METHODS: In this retrospective study, 94 CAD patients (30 diabetics vs. 64 nondiabetics) who referred to cardiac rehabilitation department of Imam Ali Hospital of Kermanshah, Iran, during January 2006–2014 were assessed. The interventional method was EECP and medical records and frequencies of self-reported chest pain were research instruments. Data were analyzed through Chi-square test, mixed repeated measures, and Bonferroni test. RESULTS: Frequencies of pain in both diabetic and nondiabetic groups during 7 weeks had linear reduction, but this reduction was significant only among nondiabetic patients (P < 0.0005). Furthermore, the significant reduction in frequencies of pain among this group begins after the 5(th) week. DISCUSSION: Diabetes is one of the obstacles to the successful control of pain frequencies by the EECP in patients with CAD. Future studies may pay attention to the confounding role of diabetes in improving the severity of chest pain.