 HTEA procedure Patients of HTEA group will be treated with both conventional medical therapy and four weeks of HTEA. The HTEA procedure is as follows: an epidural catheter is inserted through one of the second to fifth thoracic interspaces. Three to five milliliters of 0.5 lidocaine every 2 h are administered to induce a blockade of the cardiac sympathetic segments Th1-Th5. The catheter remains in place with the lidocaine infusing continuously over the subsequent four weeks. 