title: Cardiac asthma: new insights into an old disease.
abstract: Cardiac asthma has been defined as wheezing, coughing and orthopnea due to congestive heart failure. The clinical distinction between bronchial asthma and cardiac asthma can be straight forward, except in patients with chronic lung disease coexisting with left heart disease. Pulmonary edema and pulmonary vascular congestion have been thought to be the primary causes of cardiac asthma but most patients have a poor response to diuretics. There appears to be limited effectiveness of classical asthma medications like bronchodilators or corticosteroids in treating cardiac asthma. Evidence suggests that circulating inflammatory factors and tissue growth factors also lead to airway obstruction suggesting the possibility of developing novel therapies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and the Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU, Richmond, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Henry J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Rozycki
authors.forename: Soichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanoh
authors.forename: Bruce K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Rubin
mesh_terms: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000503:physiopathology; D056151:Airway Remodeling / Q000502:physiology; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001980:Bronchi / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D016535:Bronchial Hyperreactivity / Q000503:physiopathology; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003371:Cough / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009241:Ipratropium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015995:Prevalence; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D011654:Pulmonary Edema / Q000503:physiopathology; D012135:Respiratory Sounds / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D058666:Adrenergic beta-2 Receptor Agonists; D057911:Angiotensin Receptor Antagonists; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D001993:Bronchodilator Agents; D004232:Diuretics; D009241:Ipratropium