Pulmonary arterial hypertension--contemporary management strategy

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe chronic disorder of pulmonary arteries with progressive precapillary pulmonary hypertension, characterized by poor life quality and very poor prognosis. Unless treated, it causes death within 2-3 years from diagnosis. PAH affects mainly younger women. The treatment of PAH should not only be symptomatic, but also directed towards the improvement in patient's survival and quality of life. Many novel drugs putting together so called specific PAH therapy (endothelin receptor antagonists, prostanoids, phosphodiesterase--5 inhibitors) were tested in randomized trials. PAH management requires a highly individualized approach, state of the art knowledge and adequate experience. Patients therefore should be referred to specialized PAH centers providing both complete diagnosis and therapy. In our region a close co-operation between Czech and Slovak PAH centers has also proved to be profitable. Data sources. Literature retrieval was accessed through MEDLINE using the terms pulmonary hypertension, PAH, diagnosis, treatment. Reference citations from publications identified were reviewed (Ref. 47). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.