title: Efficacy and safety of sildenafil in the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension in severe heart failure.
abstract: This study sought to evaluate the utility of sildenafil in assessing pulmonary artery reactivity in left-sided cardiac failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH). Fourteen consecutive patients with heart failure were studied, with oral doses of either sildenafil 25 mg (n = 8) or 50 mg (n = 6) every 8 hours for </=3 doses, and invasive serial hemodynamic measurements were performed. Thirteen patients (93%) demonstrated >20% decreases in pulmonary artery pressures. There was also a 20% reduction of the pulmonary vascular resistance/systemic vascular resistance ratio, indicating relative pulmonary artery selectivity. Compared with sildenafil 25 mg, sildenafil 50 mg demonstrated greater reductions of pulmonary pressures. Oral sildenafil is safe and effective for the evaluation of PH reactivity in heart failure.
authors.affiliation: Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplantation Center, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana 70121, USA.
authors.forename: Jamshid
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alaeddini
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Uber
authors.forename: Myung H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Hector O
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Mandeep R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mehra
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications*; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010879:Piperazines / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011687:Purines; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate; D013450:Sulfones; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
chemical_list: D010879:Piperazines; D011687:Purines; D013450:Sulfones; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D000068677:Sildenafil Citrate