[Initial experiences with the effect of chronic intermittent electromyostimulation in patients with...

Metabolic and clinical effects of an original electromyostimulation are explained which induces muscle contractions by changes of the field intensity in the region of microseconds in forms of delivered impulse groups. On account of the good local compatibility due to optimal irritation parameters the muscle stimulator was suitable for a long-term application. Examinations on 23 patients with hyperlipoproteinaemia and mixed HLP (n = 15) and primary hypercholesterolaemia (n = 8) after a 2 times 2 hours/day mutual stimulation of the femoral musculature in a frequency of 2 s-1 lasting four weeks yielded a significant decrease of the triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations as well as an increase of the HDL-cholesterol in mixed HLP-forms. Examinations not yet finished refer to an increase of the extrahepatic activity of the postheparin-lipoprotein lipase and to the concentration of the HDL2-cholesterol. An influence of the hypercholesterolaemia IIa could not be made evident. An electrostimulation performed for 3 months in 8 patients with obliterating arteriosclerosis resulted in a more sufficient collateral blood supply of the legs. The long-term use of the device was unobjectionable also under ambulatory conditions. On the basis of additionally gathered experiences further indications of an electrostimulation were cited. Possible variations of the electrostimulation irritation parameters might make accessible further fields for the preventive and curative medicine.