Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy of extracorporeal cardiac shock wave therapy(CSWT) and enhanced external counterpulsation(EECP),both individually and in combination,in patients with coronary artery disease(CAD),and to explore effective non-invasive treatment strategies. METHODS: A total of 259 patients with CAD admitted between January 2023 and June 2024 were enrolled and randomly assigned to four groups:the Control group(n = 65) received conventional medication only; the EECP group(n = 65) received conventional medication plus EECP treatment(EECP; total duration 36 h); the CSWT group(n = 64) received conventional medication plus CSWT therapy(CSWT; total duration 4.5 h); and the Combination group(EECP + CSWT group,n = 65) received conventional medication combined with both CSWT(4.5 h) and EECP(36 h).Coronary stenosis severity, cardiac function indices, blood biochemistry and other indicators were evaluated at baseline and 12 months after treatment. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics showed no significant differences among the groups(P > 0.05). After 12 months of treatment, the Gensini score of the EECP + CSWT group decreased by 20 points, which was significantly lower than that of the EECP group (-5 points, P < 0.05), the CSWT group (-15 points, P < 0.05) and the control group (-0.5 points, P < 0.05). Secondly, compared with the control group, the CSWT group, EECP group and EECP + CSWT group showed more significant improvements in cardiac function and blood biochemical parameters (P < 0.05). The EECP + CSWT group exhibited the most pronounced therapeutic efficacy, followed by the EECP group and the CSWT group; all three intervention groups were significantly superior to the Control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Both CSWT and EECP effectively improve the severity of coronary artery disease, cardiac function,and blood biochemical parameters in CAD patients.The combination of these two therapies demonstrates synergistic effects, yielding significantly superior outcomes compared to either monotherapy.