Current therapeutic approaches to pulmonary arterial hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a heterogeneous hemodynamic and pathophysiological state that is observed in a number of clinical conditions, which have been divided into six diagnostic groups. Although the increase in pulmonary pressure observed in these clinical groups may be similar, underlying disease mechanisms, diagnostic methods, and prognostic and therapeutic consequences are completely different. Pulmonary arterial hypertension is associated with several rare conditions that have comparable clinical and hemodynamic characteristics and exhibit virtually identical anatomical and pathological alterations in the lung microcirculation. These conditions include idiopathic and familial forms of the disease and disease forms associated with connective tissue disease, congenital heart defects involving systemic-to-pulmonary arterial shunts, portal hypertension, and HIV infection. It has been shown that treatment with specific drugs (e.g. prostanoids, endothelin-receptor antagonists and phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors) is effective in these patients and that these drugs can also be administered in various combinations. An evidence-based treatment algorithm has been developed for these patients. In patients with pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease or lung disease, treatment focuses on the underlying condition and there is no convincing evidence that agents approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension are effective. For patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, the treatment of choice is pulmonary endarterectomy. However, drugs intended specifically for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension may be considered in inoperable cases or after suboptimal surgery.