Studies Show Beneficial Effect of Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) Therapy in Diabetic Patients

WESTBURY, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Vasomedical, Inc. (“Vasomedical”) VASO, a leader in the manufacture and sale of devices for the non-invasive treatment and management of cardiovascular diseases and a leader in the sale of diagnostic imaging products, today announced the third party publication of a seminal study on the positive effects of Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP^®) therapy in patients with non-insulin dependent abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT), providing what is considered as “novel evidence that EECP has a beneficial effect on peripheral arterial function and glucose tolerance in subjects with AGT.”

The paper, entitled Enhanced External Counterpulsation (EECP) Improves Peripheral Artery Function and Glucose Tolerance in Subjects with Abnormal Glucose Tolerance and authored by Dr. Jeffrey Martin, Dr. RW Braith and JM Aranda, Jr. at the Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology and the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Florida in Gainesville, was published in the December 2011 issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology. The randomized, controlled study was designed as an open label trial to evaluate the effects of EECP^® therapy on arterial function, fasting glucose and insulin concentrations, glucose tolerance, capillary density and skeletal muscle protein expression in subjects with AGT.

The study provides evidence to support that EECP® therapy improved endothelial function thereby enhancing insulin utilization, as demonstrated by the decrease in homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and an increase in the composite insulin sensitivity index. The authors further demonstrated the possible mechanism of action of the effect of EECP^® in improving insulin resistance in diabetic patients by the increase of the density of microcirculation and glucose transporter 4 (GLUT4) protein expression in skeletal muscle.

This is the first published study of EECP^® therapy on diabetes of non-cardiac patients. The same group of researchers also conducted a study of EECP^® therapy on glycemic control for patients with symptomatic coronary arterial disease (CAD) and Type II Diabetes Mellitus, and reported in a presentation at the Clinical Exercise and Physiology Association meeting in May 2011 that “EECP significantly reduced fasting glucose by 20%.”

“These studies from University of Florida are the first to demonstrate that EECP^® therapy is effective in improving peripheral artery function, glucose tolerance and glycemic control, and therefore has great potential in the prevention and treatment of diabetes,” stated Dr. Jun Ma, President and CEO of Vasomedical. “We congratulate the researchers at University of Florida for the great work they have done and hope that, as more evidence and understanding become available, EECP^® therapy can become a treatment option for the tens of millions of diabetic and pre-diabetic patients.”

To access the complete article through the Journal of Applied Physiology web site go to: http://jap.physiology.org/content/early/2011/12/19/japplphysiol.01336.2011.full.pdf+html.

About Vasomedical

Vasomedical, Inc. is engaged in designing, manufacturing, marketing and supporting EECP^® external counterpulsation systems based on the Company's proprietary technology. EECP^® therapy is a non-invasive, outpatient therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases and is currently indicated for use in cases of angina, cardiogenic shock, acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure. The Company provides hospitals, clinics and private practices with EECP^® equipment, treatment guidance and a staff training and maintenance program designed to provide optimal patient outcomes. The Company also provides other noninvasive medical equipment including Holter monitors and ambulatory blood pressure monitors.

Vaso Diagnostics d/b/a VasoHealthcare, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vasomedical, Inc., is a professional sales representation organization offering vendors of medical devices an alternative third party sales channel. Through an agreement with GE Healthcare, it is currently engaged as an exclusive sales representative for certain GE Healthcare products. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.vasomedical.com.

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