Abstract: An electrotherapy apparatus comprising a sensor for detecting periodically recurring signal peaks, in particular the R-R peaks of an electrocardiogram of a person, a processor for deriving from the time interval between said periodically recurring signal peaks a time delay corresponding to approximately the end of the T-wave and a trigger system initiated by an output signal of said processor or embodied within said processor for applying electrical stimulations to one or more active electrodes provided on the said person at a time related to the end of said time delay is characterized in that the processor is adapted to generate, in addition to an initial electrical stimulation to induce muscle contraction, a plurality of further electrical stimulation pulses with intervals between each of said further electrical stimulation pulses, so that said further electrical stimulation pulses maintain said muscle contraction over a period extending from said initial electrical stimulation substantially up to a time ju

Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating a mammal or other living organism having a heart and a peripheral vascular system to achieve a heart load reduction, said organism having a pulse rate and a systolic pressure resulting from the action of the heart, the method and apparatus involving the steps of measuring the heart rhythm, producing pressure pulsations in the peripheral vascular system by a non-invasive or invasive method in synchronization with the heart rhythm in the counterpulsation mode and varying at least one parameter of an input system generating said pressure pulsations to produce an optimised reduction in at least one of said pulse rate and said systolic pressure and hereby a net reduction in said heart load, said heart load being a function of said pulse rate and said systolic pressure.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating a mammal or other living organism having a heart and a peripheral vascular system to achieve a heart load reduction, said organism having a pulse rate and a systolic pressure resulting from the action of the heart, the method and apparatus involving the steps of measuring the heart rhythm, producing pressure pulsations in the peripheral vascular system by a non-invasive or invasive method in synchronization with the heart rhythm in the counterpulsation mode and varying at least one parameter of an input system generating said pressure pulsations to produce an optimised reduction in at least one of said pulse rate and said systolic pressure and hereby a net reduction in said heart load, said heart load being a function of said pulse rate and said systolic pressure.