Cor Vasa 2011, 53(1-2):68-71

Treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Martin Šurda^*, Hikmet Al-Hiti, Jiří Kettner, Josef Kautzner

Klinika kardiologie, Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, Praha, Česká republika

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare orphan disease caused by impaired regulation of vasodilator and antiproliferative mechanisms in the pulmonary vascular bed, resulting in an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular dysfunction. If untreated, the disease leads to rapid progression and early death. This article provides an overview of contemporary pharmacological treatment options, followed by a short summary of experience from the Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension at the Prague-based Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine (Institut klinické a experimentální medicíny, IKEM in Czech).

Keywords: Pulmonary arterial hypertension; Pharmacological therapy; Prostanoids; Endothelin; PDE5 inhibitors

Published: January 1, 2011  Show citation