SUMMARY: A small study presented at a virtual meeting of the American College of Cardiology found that enhanced external counterpulsation therapy, normally used to treat chest pain, could help reduce fatigue, shortness of breath and related issues in patients with long COVID symptoms. The patient is fitted with inflatable cuffs on the calves, lower hips and thighs, and the system helps push oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, stimulating the formation of new small blood vessels.
Sachin Shah, PharmD, chief scientific officer, Flow Therapy, Fort Worth, Texas; Erica Spatz, MD, associate professor, cardiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., member, ACC Science & Quality Committee; American College of Cardiology’s Cardiovascular Summit, virtual meeting, Feb. 16 to 19, 2022
