Oral beraprost sodium improves exercise capacity and ventilatory efficiency in patients with primary or thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of beraprost sodium, an orally active prostacyclin analogue, on exercise capacity and ventilatory efficiency in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.


METHODS
Symptom limited cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed before and 3 (1) months (mean (SEM)) after beraprost treatment in 30 patients with precapillary pulmonary hypertension (14 with primary pulmonary hypertension and 16 with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension).


RESULTS
Long term treatment with beraprost resulted in significant increases (mean (SEM)) in peak workload (87 (4) W to 97 (5) W, p < 0.001) and peak oxygen consumption (peak VO2, 14.9 (0.7) ml/kg/min to 16.8 (0.7) ml/kg/min, p < 0.001). Beraprost decreased the ventilatory response to carbon dioxide production during exercise (VE-VCO2 slope, 42 (2) to 37 (1), p < 0.001). No significant difference in the responses of these variables to beraprost treatment was observed between patients with primary pulmonary hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral administration of beraprost sodium may improve exercise capacity and ventilatory efficiency in patients with both primary and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.
Nagaya
N
N
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, National Cardiovascular Centre, Osaka, Japan. nagayann@hsp.ncvc.go.jp
Shimizu
Y
Y
Satoh
T
T
Oya
H
H
Uematsu
M
M
Kyotani
S
S
Sakamaki
F
F
Sato
N
N
Nakanishi
N
N
Miyatake
K
K
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; C048081:beraprost; D011464:Epoprostenol