ABSTRACT
According to the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association’s 2010 publication on heart disease and stroke statistics, cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of mortality in the United States in men and women of every major ethnic group. It accounts for nearly 1 million deaths per year as of 2006 and was responsible for one in almost three deaths in the United States in 2006. Approximately 17 million persons have a history of coronary artery disease and 8 million have suffered a myocardial infarction (LloydJones et al. 2010). There are three common approaches for treating Coronary Artery Disease (CAD): Medication; Percutaneus coronary interventions (PCI: stent implantation or balloon angioplasty); Coronary Bypass Surgery (CABG). It is important to note that none of these approaches provides a cure. In other words, although the symptoms are eliminated or alleviated, the disease and its causes are still present after treatment and require that the patient modify his or her lifestyle to properly prevent the disease from progressing and the symptoms from recurring. Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) therapy with its different mode of action provides a new treatment modality in the management of CAD (Fig. 10.1).
