Combination Therapy may Lead to Greater Disease Burden in PAH Patients

In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) combination therapy with intravenous PG12 may lead to greater disease burden, finds study.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Novartis Pharma AG in Switzerland performed statistical tests on 446 patients with PAH, of which (a) 337 were receiving monotherapy; (b) 88 were receiving non-IV PGI2 combination therapy; and (c) 21 were receiving IV PGI2 combination therapy. Results showed that pulmonary vascular resistance, mean number of PAH-related hospitalizations, and dyspnea scores were highest in those treated with IV PGI2. This study was presented during CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held October 20 – 25, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension [PAH] - Symptoms & Signs - Causes - Diagnosis - Treatment
Pulmonary arterial hypertension can be a serious condition affecting the heart. It is defined as mean pulmonary arterial pressure >25mm Hg at rest and >30mm Hg on exertion.

Source-Eurekalert

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Not Treated by Heart Drugs
Study says despite their beneficial effects in treating heart disease, neither aspirin nor simvastatin appear to offer benefit to patients suffering from pulmonary artery hypertension

Gene Therapy Could Help Treat Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Gene therapy has been found to have positive effects in rat models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to researchers at the University of Adelaide in Australia.

Key Protein Linked To Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Identified
University of California, San Diego, researchers have made groundbreaking discovery by identifying a key protein that promotes the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension in humans and mice.