title: Ambrisentan May Improve Exercise Tolerance and Cardiac Function in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by a significant increase in pulmonary vascular resistance, which results in ventricular failure and death. Ambrisentan appears to be an effective treatment in the pathogenesis and progression of ambrisentan, but some researchers disagree. Therefore, this meta-analysis aims to examine the clinical efficacy of ambrisentan in the treatment of PH.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search of the scientific literature using the Embase, Cochrane, and CHINAHL databases retrieved published studies related to our topic of interest. Eight cohort studies related to ambrisentan and PH treatment were selected on the basis of our strict inclusion and exclusion criteria for a systematic meta-analysis. Statistical analyses were conducted using STATA version 12.0 statistical software (StataCorp LP, College Station, Texas).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our meta-analysis retrieved 124 studies using our search criteria (90 studies in English and 34 studies in Chinese), and 8 studies (4 studies in English and 4 studies in Chinese) were eventually selected for this meta-analysis. The 8 studies contained data on a total of 172 PH patients. Pooled data in our meta-analysis revealed that 6-minute walking distance in PH patients significantly improved after ambrisentan treatment compared with before treatment. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure, brain natriuretic peptide level, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure in PH patients decreased measurably after ambrisentan treatment compared with before treatment. Sensitivity analysis results confirmed that the included studies had no publication bias (all P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our meta-analysis results demonstrated that ambrisentan is highly effective in improving exercise tolerance and cardiac function in PH patients, and the mean pulmonary arterial pressure, systolic pulmonary artery pressure, and brain natriuretic peptide level levels in PH patients significantly decreased. However, with the limitations of small sample size, insufficient data, and ethnic difference in the study, further studies with larger sample sizes and sufficient information are essential to validate our findings of the high safety profile and efficacy of ambrisentan in treatment of PH.
authors: Department of Pharmacy, Zhongshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhongshan 528400, People's Republic of China. Electronic address: lixueqin613@126.com.
authors: Xue-Qin
authors: XQ
authors: Li
authors: Department of Pharmacy, Zhongshan Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Zhongshan 528400, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yun-Jing
authors: YJ
authors: Li
authors: Department of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Shenyang 110000, People's Republic of China.
authors: Yong
authors: Y
authors: Wang
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D062186:Arterial Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D005080:Exercise Test; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D006321:Heart / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010666:Phenylpropionates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010666:Phenylpropionates; D011724:Pyridazines; C467894:ambrisentan
keywords: 6-minute walking distance; ambrisentan; brain natriuretic peptide; mean pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary hypertension; systolic pulmonary artery pressure