[Pulmonary arterial hypertension: a voyage around the year 2008]

There have been spectacular developments in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), both in its treatment and knowledge of its pathogenesis. Several studies have been published throughout 2008 that have contributed to improve these two aspects a little. As regards the pathogenesis, mutations in BMPR2 continue gaining points as fundamental factors in the development of the disease. It has been shown that patients who carry any of them have a more rapid and severe clinical course. There is a relationship between the BMPR2 pathway and inflammation of the pulmonary vascular tree. A new anti-endothelin drug, ambrisentan, has also appeared on the scene this year. With an efficacy comparable to other drugs of its group, the secondary effects appear to be a lot less. An important work has been the demonstration of an improvement in several parameters in functional class II in patients with PAH with bosentan. Results using new combinations, such as sildenafil and epoprostenol, have also been presented. A common type of PAH is that which seems to be associated with thromboembolic disease. Treatment with sildenafil and in some selected cases, percutaneous angioplasty, has obtained favourable responses. Finally, in 2008, two new consensus documents have emerged, one Spanish and the other British, which in the light of current knowledge, give a clearer insight into the management of this serious disease.