Heart Treatment from the 1970s Could Also Improve Memory in Alzheimer's Patients

Researchers tested external counterpulsation (ECP), a non-invasive heart-failure therapy that uses inflatable cuffs on the calves, lower thighs, and buttocks synchronized to the heartbeat to boost venous return and arterial function, as a treatment for early cognitive decline. In a randomized, single-blind US trial of 190 patients with mild cognitive impairment or early clinically diagnosed Alzheimer’s, participants receiving full-pressure ECP multiple times a week for six months showed notable cognitive and functional gains versus a low-pressure sham: the full-pressure group averaged a five-point improvement on standard cognitive scales (roughly equivalent to regaining one to two years of lost function), 84% improved during treatment, and 75% still showed gains six months after sessions stopped. The sham produced smaller benefits.

Authors link the effects to improved cerebral blood flow and emphasize vascular contributions to Alzheimer’s pathology, but important limitations remain: the trial was funded by the device maker, single-blind, relied on clinical rather than biomarker diagnoses (so some cases might be vascular dementia), and evidence for cerebrovascular indications is still preliminary. The device has EU certification for mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s but lacks US FDA clearance for that use. Larger, longer, and independently funded trials with biomarker confirmation are required to validate efficacy, define who benefits, and determine optimal treatment schedules.