Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Increasing Pulmonary Artery Pulsatile Flow Improves Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension in Piglets
Published on: May 11, 2015
Statins may be beneficial for patients with pulmonary hypertension secondary to lung diseases
Ming-Zhou Zhang1, De-Hui Qian2, Jian-Cheng Xu1
1Department of Respiratory Disease, Chongqing Xinqiao Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 40037, China.
Background:
Previous animal studies and clinical trials report inconsistent findings regarding the role of statins in pulmonary hypertension (PH). Systematic reviews have shown no use of statins on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This is the first meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) determining the clinical impacts of statin therapy on patients with PH secondary to lung diseases.
Methods:
Electronic databases and manual bibliographical searches were conducted. Eligible studies included RCTs of at least 3 months that evaluated statin therapy as compared with control in adult patients with PH due to pulmonary diseases. Statistical analyses were performed to calculate mean difference, relative risks (RRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using random-effect model.
Results:
A total of 6 RCTs were identified and included in this study. Five trials reported the effects of statins in patients with both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and PH, and the remaining 1 was based on PH due to pneumoconiosis. We found that statin therapy was associated with increased 6-minute walk distance and reduced pulmonary artery systolic pressure. There was no observed difference in the incidence of death, drug withdrawal, and adverse event between statin and control group.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that statins might be safe and beneficial for patients with PH due to chronic lung diseases. However, larger RCTs with more patients and longer observational duration are needed.
Related Concept Videos
Lipid-Lowering Drugs: Statins and Miscellaneous Agents
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Phosphodiesterase Inhibitors
Among the PDE5 inhibitors, sildenafil (Revatio) stands out as a competitive and selective inhibitor. It operates by elevating cellular levels of cGMP and augmenting signaling through the cGMP-PKG pathway, promoting vasodilation. Upon oral...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme (ECE). Of...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Prostacyclin Receptor Agonists
These agonists bind to the IPR receptor situated on the plasma membrane of the pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells. This binding triggers a cascade of reactions known as the GS-AC-cAMP-PKA pathway. This pathway results in the relaxation of smooth muscle...
Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
Atherosclerosis III: Management

