A Single Session of Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Enhances Vascular Endothelial Function and Peripheral Blood Circulation in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

SummaryThis study aimed to investigate whether a single session of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) can enhance vascular endothelial function and peripheral blood circulation in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Thirty-four male patients with AMI were alternately assigned to 2 groups, and received NMES with muscle contraction (NMES group, n = 17) or without muscle contraction (control group, n = 17) after admission. NMES was performed for quadriceps and gastrocnemius muscles of both legs for 30 minutes. We measured systolic blood pressure as a parameter of cardiovascular responses and the low-frequency component of blood pressure variability as an index of sympathetic activity. Reactive hyperemia peripheral arterial tonometry (RH-PAT) index and transcutaneous oxygen pressure in foot (Foot-tcPO 2 ) were also measured as parameters of vascular endothelial function and peripheral blood circulation, respectively. All patients completed the study without severe adverse events. Systolic blood pressure and the low-frequency component increased significantly during the NMES session in both groups (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). However, elevation from systolic blood pressure at rest was < 10 mmHg in both groups. In the NMES group, the RH-PAT index and Foot-tcPO 2 increased significantly after NMES (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001, respectively). No significant changes were observed in these parameters throughout the session in the control group. In conclusion, a single session of NMES with muscle contraction enhanced vascular endothelial function, leading to improvement in peripheral blood circulation without inducing excessive cardiovascular and autonomic responses in patients with AMI (UMIN000014196). (Int Heart J 2016; 57: 676-681)

The influence of low-intensity resistance training combined with neuromuscular electrical stimulation on autonomic activity in healthy adults: A randomized controlled cross-over trial

“…35,36 In contrast, several studies have suggested changes in autonomic activity and cardiovascular response when subjects performed RT or NMES alone. 18,19,37 This study did not show that adding NMES to RT elicited a worse response to autonomic activity or cardiovascular response compared to RT alone. The results from this study support the safety of RT þ NMES, as shown in the results of previous studies investigating RT or NMES alone from the aspect of evaluating autonomic activity and cardiovascular response.…”

“…18 On the other hand, NMES was reported to slightly but signi¯cantly increase the blood pressure and sympathetic activity in patients with acute myocardial infarction. 19 However, few studies have reported on autonomic activity and cardiovascular responses during RT þ NMES, including reports on healthy subjects.…”

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

“…13) Although the low-frequency component of blood pressure variability, an indicator of cardiac sympathetic nerve activity, was increased during NMES, heart rate did not significantly change and the elevation of systolic and diastolic blood pressure was within 10 mmHg. Neither arrhythmia, ischemic ST-T change, nor chest pain was induced by NMES.…”

“…Although many issues remain to be solved, the report by Tanaka, et al first showed the safety of NMES in AMI patients, 13) providing with us an initial step towards further investigations on the various effects of NMES in patients suffering from AMI. …”

Cucumis sativus Aqueous Fraction Inhibits Angiotensin II-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress In Vitro

“…Inflammation and oxidative stress are strongly associated with the progression of endothelial dysfunction; in turn, the latter is the physiopathological substrate of several cardiovascular diseases with high impact on mortality indices such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, and chronic renal failure [ 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Thus, treatments to control both conditions are emerging as key therapies against these high-impact diseases [ 1 ].…”