AIM: To investigate the effects of external counterpulsation combined with laser photocoagulation for treatment of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

METHODS: A prospective study method were used from Aug.2013 to Feb.2016. A total of 104 cases in our hospital for treatment of non-proliferative stage of diabetic retinopathy patients were selected as the research object, and all the patients were equally divided into observation group and control group, 52 cases in each group according to the order of admission. Patients in control group were treated with panretinal laser photocoagulation treatment. The observation group were given external counterpulsation combined with laser photocoagulation for treatment, observed the prognosis in the two groups.

RESULTS: The total efficiency in the observation group and the control group were 98.1% and 84.6%, the observation group was significantly higher than the control group(P<0.05). The eye artery EDV and PSV values in the observation group and the control group after treatment were significantly higher than those before treatment(P<0.05), while the observation group after treatment of eye artery EDV and PSV value were significantly higher than those in control group(P<0.05). The CMT values in the observation group before and after treatment were 198.13±45.32μm and 200.46±31.94μm, while the control group were 203.14±51.94μm and 202.90±42.95μm that compared between the two groups were not statistically significant(P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: External counterpulsation combined with laser photocoagulation treatment has good safety in the treatment of non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy, it can promote eye artery blood flow speed, thereby improve the therapeutic effect.