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Published on: November 18, 2018
Pulmonary arterial hypertension and COVID-19: Piecing the puzzle
Fida Charif1, Fatima Dakroub2, Imad Bou Akl3
1Pulmonology Division, Hopitaux du Léman, Thonon les bains, France.
Insights
Despite the pandemic
Area of Science:
- Cardiology and Infectious Diseases
Background:
- COVID-19 poses risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients.
- Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients have shown varied COVID-19 outcomes.
- This review addresses COVID-19 in PAH patients.
Approach:
- Summarizing current literature on COVID-19 clinical presentation in PAH.
- Discussing shared pathology and disease mechanisms between PAH and COVID-19.
- Reviewing PAH therapies for potential COVID-19 treatment.
Key Points:
- COVID-19 clinical characteristics in PAH patients are not fully understood.
- PAH and COVID-19 share pathological pathways.
- Existing PAH therapies may offer treatment avenues for COVID-19.
Conclusions:
- Further research is needed to clarify COVID-19's impact on PAH patients.
- Investigating PAH-approved drugs for COVID-19 treatment efficacy and safety is crucial.
- Prospective studies are proposed to guide future clinical practice.
Abstract:
COVID-19 remains a health care concern despite the end of the pandemic. Patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) are at a higher risk for developing severe COVID-19 complications. Studies investigating the COVID-19 clinical characteristics in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients have reported discordant conclusions so far. In this review, we summarize the literature pertaining to the clinical presentation of COVID-19 in patients with PAH. In addition, we discuss common pathological aspects and disease mechanisms between PAH and COVID-19. We present an overview of the different types of PAH-approved therapy and their potential utilization as a treatment in the context of COVID-19. Moreover, we summarize the clinical trials that assessed the safety and efficiency of PAH-approved drugs in COVID-19 patients. Finally, we conclude with proposals for prospective research studies.
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