scholarly journals Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Adults: Novel Drugs and Catheter Ablation Techniques Show Promise? Systematic Review on Pharmacotherapy and Interventional Strategies

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Salvatore Rosanio ◽  
Francesco Pelliccia ◽  
Carlo Gaudio ◽  
Cesare Greco ◽  
Abdul M. Keylani ◽  
...  

This systematic review aims to provide an update on pharmacological and interventional strategies for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in adults. Currently US Food and Drug Administration approved drugs including prostanoids, endothelin-receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors, and soluble guanylate-cyclase stimulators. These agents have transformed the prognosis for pulmonary arterial hypertension patients from symptomatic improvements in exercise tolerance ten years ago to delayed disease progression today. On the other hand, percutaneous balloon atrioseptostomy by using radiofrequency perforation, cutting balloon dilatation, or insertion of butterfly stents and pulmonary artery catheter-based denervation, both associated with very low rate of major complications and death, should be considered in combination with specific drugs at an earlier stage rather than late in the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension and before the occurrence of overt right-sided heart failure.

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Watanabe ◽  

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a chronic and life-threatening disease that if left untreated is fatal. Current therapies include stimulating the nitric oxide–soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)–cyclic guanosine monophosphate axis, improving the prostacyclin pathway and inhibiting the endothelin pathway. Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, such as sildenafil, and the sGC stimulator riociguat are currently used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. This article discusses the similarities and differences between phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and sGC stimulator based on pharmacological action and clinical trials, and considers which is better for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1009-1016
Author(s):  
E. V. Filippov

The article is devoted to topical issues of management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and strategies for switching to riociguat therapy in patients with insufficient clinical response against the background of phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. The role of the NO metabolic pathway in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was shown. From the standpoint of pathogenesis, the importance of the effect of medication on this pathway through soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) has been assessed. The effects of the drug riociguat, the only member of the sGC stimulant class approved for the treatment of PAH, are associated with a dual mechanism of action: riociguat sensitizes the sGC enzyme to endogenous NO by stabilizing the NO-sGC bond, and also directly stimulates the latter through another site of the bond, regardless of NO. The favorable efficacy and safety profile of riociguat has been demonstrated in the PATENT-1,2 studies. During therapy, patients showed an improvement in exercise tolerance, functional class, and a number of other indicators. Studies that indicate the feasibility of using a change in therapy in clinical practice are reviewed. In particular, the article provides a detailed analysis of the REPLACE study. It demonstrated a significantly greater likelihood of achieving clinical improvement and a significant decrease in the rate of development of clinical deterioration when switching patients with PAH from PDE-5 inhibitors to riociguat. This therapy was well tolerated and can be considered as a strategy for managing patients at intermediate risk with insufficient patient response to PDE-5 inhibitors. In conclusion, the need to plan the need for specific therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension in the region is noted in order to rapidly escalate therapy to achieve a low risk of mortality in these patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. NP1-NP4
Author(s):  
Nina M van Leeuwen ◽  
Sofia Ramiro ◽  
Maarten K Ninaber ◽  
Esther Nossent ◽  
Jeska K de Vries-Bouwstra

Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease is a rare cause of pulmonary hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis that can be misclassified as pulmonary arterial hypertension. Differentiation between pulmonary veno-occlusive disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension is challenging because of the similar clinical picture. Nevertheless, discrimination is important because pulmonary veno-occlusive disease has a worse prognosis. Vasodilators including phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors and endothelin receptor antagonists should be started with caution and often in combination with diuretics to prevent pulmonary edema.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 175346661986893 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Halank ◽  
Kristin Tausche ◽  
Ekkehard Grünig ◽  
Ralf Ewert ◽  
Ioana R. Preston

Riociguat is one of several approved therapies available for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Treatment should be initiated and monitored at an expert center by a physician experienced in treating PAH, and the dose adjusted in the absence of signs and symptoms of hypotension. In certain populations, including patients with hepatic or renal impairment, the elderly, and smokers, riociguat exposure may differ, and dose adjustments should therefore be made with caution according to the established scheme. Common adverse events are often easily managed, particularly if they are discussed before starting therapy. Combination therapy with riociguat and other PAH-targeted agents is feasible and generally well tolerated, although the coadministration of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5i) and riociguat is contraindicated. An open-label, randomized study is currently ongoing to assess whether patients who do not achieve treatment goals while receiving PDE5i may benefit from switching to riociguat. In this review, we provide a clinical view on the practical management of patients with PAH receiving riociguat, with a focus on the opinions and personal experience of the authors. The reviews of this paper are available via the supplemental material section.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 204589401988008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert P. Frantz ◽  
Jerrold W. Hill ◽  
Cassandra A. Lickert ◽  
Rolin L. Wade ◽  
Michele R. Cole ◽  
...  

Adherence to therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension is essential to optimize patient outcomes, but data on real-world adherence to different pulmonary arterial hypertension drug classes are limited. This retrospective database analysis evaluated relationships between adherence, hospitalization, and healthcare costs in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients treated with endothelin receptor antagonists or phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors. From the IQVIA Adjudicated Health Plan Database, patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension were identified based on diagnostic codes and prescriptions for endothelin receptor antagonists (ambrisentan, bosentan, macitentan) or phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (sildenafil, tadalafil) approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Patients were assigned to the class of their most recently initiated (index) pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy between 1 January 2009 and 30 June 2015. Medication adherence was measured by proportion of days covered; patients with proportion of days covered ≥80% were considered adherent. The proportion of adherent patients was higher for endothelin receptor antagonists (571/755; 75.6%) than for phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (970/1578; 61.5%; P < 0.0001). In both groups, hospitalizations declined as proportion of days covered increased. Among adherent patients, those on endothelin receptor antagonists had a significantly lower hospitalization rate than those on phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (23.1% versus 28.5%, P = 0. 0218), fewer hospitalizations (mean (standard deviation) 0.4 (0.8) versus 0.5 (0.9); P = 0.02), and mean hospitalization costs during the six-month post-index ($9510 versus $15,726, P = 0.0318). Increasing adherence reduced hospitalization risk more for endothelin receptor antagonists than for phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors (hazard ratio 0.176 versus 0.549, P = 0.001). Rates and numbers of rehospitalizations within 30 days post-discharge were similar between groups. Mean total costs were higher with endothelin receptor antagonists than phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors in all patients ($91,328 versus $72,401, P = 0.0003) and in adherent patients ($88,867 versus $56,300, P < 0.0001), driven by higher drug costs.


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