A comparison of continuous intravenous epoprostenol (prostacyclin) with conventional therapy for primary pulmonary hypertension

Article Abstract:

Continuous intravenous infusion of epoprostenol along with conventional therapy appears to improve blood flow, exercise endurance, quality of life and survival in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension when compared to conventional therapy alone. The elevation of pulmonary artery pressure and vascular resistance in patients with the disease eventually results in heart failure and death. Epoprostenol (prostacyclin) is a vasodilator and inhibitor of platelet aggregation. Researchers compared 41 patients treated with epoprostenol plus conventional therapy to 40 treated with conventional therapy alone (the control group) over a 12-week period. Pulmonary artery pressure dropped 8% in the epoprostenol group but increased 3% in the control group. Vascular resistance decreased 21% with epoprostenol use and increased 9% without it. Eight patients in the control group died during the study as a result of their pulmonary vascular disease.

Vasodilators, Vasodilator agents

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The effect of high doses of calcium-channel blockers on survival in primary pulmonary hypertension

Article Abstract:

High doses of calcium-channel blockers may improve the survival of patients with pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive lung disease that has no cure. Of 64 patients with pulmonary hypertension who were treated with high doses of calcium-channel blockers, 17 (26%) responded to treatment, and 47 (74%) did not. After five years, 16 of the patients (94%) who responded to treatment were alive, compared with 26 patients (55%) of those who did not respond to treatment. Survival of patients who responded to treatment was significantly better than that of patients enrolled in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Registry on Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Concurrent treatment with the anticoagulant warfarin also improved survival, especially in patients who did not respond to treatment with calcium-channel blockers.

Calcium channel blockers

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Reduction in pulmonary vascular resistance with long-term epoprostenol (prostacyclin) therapy in primary pulmonary hypertension

Article Abstract:

Epoprostanol appears to be effective in the treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension. This condition is characterized by elevated blood pressure in the lungs, usually because the blood vessels are constricted. Researchers gave epoprostanol to 27 patients with primary pulmonary hypertension for over one year, slowly raising the dose month by month. Epoprostanol, also called prostacyclin, is a blood vessel dilator and it succeeded in lowering pulmonary resistance to blood flow by 53% overall in 26 of the 27 patients.

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