Abstract
Over the past decade different effective treatment options for use in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have been developed. Due to multiple pathophysiological pathways in PAH and unsatisfactory overall results with the use of monotherapy in a substantial number of PAH patients, there is a pharmacological rationale for combination therapy. The currently approved substances target the prostacyclin, the endothelin and the NO (nitric oxide) -pathways. Those agents have shown a varying degree of improvement in different categories of PAH associated limitations like hemodynamics, exercise capacity, functional class, and quality of life. However, clinical worsening over time is still significant in most patients irrespective of the treatment utilized. The recently published ESC-ERS (European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society) guidelines on pulmonary hypertension suggest the use of combination therapy in patients who do not respond adequately to monotheapy. This article reviews and critically discusses the available data on combination therapy in PAH.
Keywords: Combination therapy, endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitors, prostanoids, pulmonary hypertension, randomized controlled trials, open-label, nitric oxide, epoprostenol
Current Vascular Pharmacology
Title: Pulmonary Hypertension: Role of Combination Therapy
Volume: 9 Issue: 4
Author(s): Tobias Meis and Juergen Behr
Affiliation:
Keywords: Combination therapy, endothelin receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase-5-inhibitors, prostanoids, pulmonary hypertension, randomized controlled trials, open-label, nitric oxide, epoprostenol
Abstract: Over the past decade different effective treatment options for use in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have been developed. Due to multiple pathophysiological pathways in PAH and unsatisfactory overall results with the use of monotherapy in a substantial number of PAH patients, there is a pharmacological rationale for combination therapy. The currently approved substances target the prostacyclin, the endothelin and the NO (nitric oxide) -pathways. Those agents have shown a varying degree of improvement in different categories of PAH associated limitations like hemodynamics, exercise capacity, functional class, and quality of life. However, clinical worsening over time is still significant in most patients irrespective of the treatment utilized. The recently published ESC-ERS (European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society) guidelines on pulmonary hypertension suggest the use of combination therapy in patients who do not respond adequately to monotheapy. This article reviews and critically discusses the available data on combination therapy in PAH.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Meis Tobias and Behr Juergen, Pulmonary Hypertension: Role of Combination Therapy, Current Vascular Pharmacology 2011; 9 (4) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016111796197242
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/157016111796197242 |
Print ISSN 1570-1611 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-6212 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
TREATMENT OF CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE IN CHRONIC AND END STAGE KIDNEY DISEASE
Cardiovascular disease still remains the leading cause of death in Chronic and End Stage Kidney Disease, accounting for more than half of all deaths in dialysis patients. During the past decade, research has been focused on novel therapeutic agents that might delay or even reverse cardiovascular disease and vascular calcification, ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System Antagonists and the Prevention of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Current Pharmaceutical Design Optimal Time for Pharmacological Treatment of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm
Current Drug Targets Cholinesterase Inhibitors Slow Decline in Executive Functions, Rather than Memory, in Alzheimers Disease: A 1-Year Observational Study in the Sunnybrook Dementia Cohort
Current Alzheimer Research Serum Uric Acid and Progression of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: Results from the HALT PKD Trials
Current Hypertension Reviews Comparative Analysis of Spouse’s Burden and Quality of Life in Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar I Disorder
Current Psychiatry Research and Reviews Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor as Target for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Therapy
Current Drug Targets Brain Protection and Cognitive Function: Cocoa Flavonoids as Nutraceuticals
Current Pharmaceutical Design Metabolic Syndrome and Aging: Calcium Signaling as Common Regulator
Current Diabetes Reviews Recent Advancements in Diagnosis and Therapy of Liver Cirrhosis
Current Drug Targets Recent Advances in Developing Ophthalmic Formulations: A Patent Review
Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation Strain Imaging Echocardiography: What Imaging Cardiologists Should Know
Current Cardiology Reviews Halving Your Cake and Eating it, Too: A Case-based Discussion and Review of Metabolic Rehabilitation for Obese Adults with Diabetes
Current Diabetes Reviews Uric acid and Metabolic Syndrome: What is the Relationship?
Current Rheumatology Reviews A Systematic Review of Overweight, Obesity, and Type 2 Diabetes Among Asian American Subgroups
Current Diabetes Reviews Recent Patents on Ocular Drug Delivery Systems
Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation New Insights on the Beneficial Effects of the Probiotic Kefir on Vascular Dysfunction in Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Patient Perspectives in OMERACT Provide an Anchor for Future Metric Development and Improved Approaches to Healthcare Delivery in Connective Tissue Disease Related Interstitial Lung Disease (CTD-ILD)
Current Respiratory Medicine Reviews Anticoagulant Prevention in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: Alternatives to Vitamin K Antagonists
Current Pharmaceutical Design Cocaine Dependence and Stroke: Pathogenesis and Management
Current Neurovascular Research G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinase 2 - a Feedback Regulator of Gq Pathway Signalling
Current Drug Targets - Immune, Endocrine & Metabolic Disorders