Abstract
Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to review recent literature related to mechanisms and treatment options for 'secondary' (i.e., WHO Groups 3 and 5) pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Recent findings Published randomized controlled trials, in general, do not support the use of approved therapies for 'primary' (i.e., WHO Group 1) PAH patients in patients with Group 3 PAH because of the small numbers of patients and inconsistent benefit. Therefore, we currently recommend against the use of these medications for Group 3 PAH. Similarly, there is limited evidence supporting the use of Group 1 PAH medications in Group 5 patients. In most patients with Group 5 PAH, treatment should be directed to the underlying disease. Summary The utility of PAH-specific therapy in WHO Group 3 PAH is unclear because of the small numbers of patients evaluated and inconsistent beneficial effects observed. There is limited evidence supporting the use of PAH medications in Group 5 patients, and they may be harmful in some cases.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 324-329 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Current Opinion in Organ Transplantation |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 1 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
Keywords
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
- diffuse parenchymal lung disease
- idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- pulmonary arterial hypertension
- sarcoidosis