Effects of enhanced external counterpulsation on skeletal muscle gene expression in patients with severe heart failure

Male patients (n=6, mean age 62 years) with NYHA III-IV and an left ventricular ejection fraction of <35% despite pharmacological therapy received 35 hours of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) over a period of 7 weeks. Before and after treatment, lateral vastus muscle biopsies were obtained and skeletal muscle gene expression was evaluated using the Affymetrix HuGene 1.0 platform. Skeletal muscle gene expression before and after treatment with enhanced external counterpulsation for 7 weeks in 6 male patients with severe heart failure