title: Medical therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension.
abstract: Recent advances in the understanding of pulmonary arterial hypertension have led to new therapeutic options, although the disease remains incurable and continues to cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Disease-specific therapies have been approved for use in the US, including epoprostenol and its various analogs, endothelin receptor antagonists, and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors. The use of combination therapy with agents from more than one of these drug classes is becoming increasingly common, although guidelines establishing optimal combinations are lacking. Meanwhile, potential future therapeutic options are actively being pursued.
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid, Campus Box 8052, Saint Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
authors: James A
authors: JA
authors: Driscoll
authors: Murali M
authors: MM
authors: Chakinala
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D065130:Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D065130:Endothelin A Receptor Antagonists; D010726:Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors; D011464:Epoprostenol