New therapeutic agents for pulmonary vascular disease.
The improved understanding of the pathophysiology of pulmonary vascular diseases over the last decade has brought with it significant changes in disease management. Newer therapies have targeted the cardinal features of pulmonary hypertension, which include pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodelling. In addition to prostacyclin, which had been the mainstay of therapy until recently, other available drugs include other prostacyclin analogues, endothelin receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase inhibitors. This review will discuss some of the evidence for their use and will look towards the future in the search of treatments that may ultimately modify and even reverse the disease process.
Howard
Luke S G E
LS
Division of Respiratory Medicine, University of Cambridge, Box 157, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK. lsg10@cam.ac.uk
Morrell
Nicholas W
NW
D000328:Adult; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001120:Arginine / Q000502:physiology; D000077300:Bosentan; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016285:Iloprost / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D013449:Sulfonamides; D009569:Nitric Oxide; C048081:beraprost; D001120:Arginine; D011464:Epoprostenol; D016285:Iloprost; D000077300:Bosentan; C427248:treprostinil