title: Pulmonary hypertension associated with benfluorex exposure.
abstract: Benfluorex was marketed in France until 2009, despite its similar pharmacological properties with fenfluramine and its derivatives known to be a cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The aim of this study is to report clinical and haemodynamic characteristics for patients suffering from pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with benfluorex exposure that had been identified by the French PAH Network. 85 cases of PH associated with benfluorex exposure were identified by the French PAH Network from June 1999 to March 2011. Of these, 70 patients had confirmed pre-capillary PH. The median duration of exposure was 30 months, with a median of 108 months between start of exposure and diagnosis of the pulmonary vascular disease. 33% of all patients also had prior exposure to fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine, and an additional risk factor for PH was identified in 20 (30%) out of 70 patients with pre-capillary PH. A quarter of patients in this current series showed coexisting PH and mild-to-moderate cardiac valve involvement. The results of our study, together with the accumulated data regarding the known toxic effects of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, strongly suggest that benfluorex exposure is a potent trigger for PAH.
authors.affiliation: Univ Paris-Sud, Faculte de Medecine and AP-HP Centre de Reference del’Hypertension Pulmonaire Severe, Service de Pneumologie et SoinsIntensifs, Hopital Bicetre, Le Kremlin Bicetre, France
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Savale
authors.forename: Marie-Camille
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chaumais
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cottin
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bergot
authors.forename: Irène
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Frachon
authors.forename: Grégoire
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Prevot
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pison
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dromer
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poubeau
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lamblin
authors.forename: Gilbert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Habib
authors.forename: Martine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynaud-Gaubert
authors.forename: Arnaud
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bourdin
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sanchez
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tubert-Bitter
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jaïs
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Montani
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sitbon
authors.forename: Gérald
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Simonneau
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Humbert
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001067:Appetite Depressants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D005260:Female; D005277:Fenfluramine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001067:Appetite Depressants; D005277:Fenfluramine; C001584:benfluorex