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Updated: Apr 1, 2026

Assessing Endothelial Vasodilator Function with the Endo-PAT 2000
Published on: October 15, 2010
Role of Vasodilator Testing in Pulmonary Hypertension
Abhishek Sharma1, Chukwudi Obiagwu2, Kenechukwu Mezue3
1Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, NY, USA.
Abstract:
Pulmonary hypertension is clinically defined by a mean pulmonary artery (PA) pressure of 25mm Hg or more at rest, as measured by right heart catheterization. To identify patients who are likely to have a beneficial response to calcium channel blockers (CCBs) and therefore a better prognosis, acute vasodilator testing should be performed in patients in certain subsets of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). A near normalization of pulmonary hemodynamics is needed before patients can be considered for therapy with CCBs. Intravenous adenosine, intravenous epoprostenol, inhaled nitric oxide, or inhaled iloprost are the standard agents used for vasoreactivity testing in patients with idiopathic PAH. In this review we describe the various aspects of vasodilator testing including the rationale, pathophysiology and agents used in the procedure.
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