Management of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Eur Respir Rev

Dept of Cardiology, CUB-Hôpital Erasme, Brussels, Belgium.

Published: December 2010

AI Article Synopsis

  • Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious and worsening condition that affects the small blood vessels in the lungs, leading to high blood pressure, heart failure, and a high risk of death, particularly in patients classified as WHO functional class IV.
  • Recent advancements in PAH treatments have improved patient outcomes significantly, especially when used in combination with tailored management strategies.
  • Despite these improvements, the prognosis for WHO FC IV PAH patients remains bleak, prompting ongoing research and updated treatment recommendations aimed at better addressing their critical health needs.

Article Abstract

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe, progressive condition of the small pulmonary vessels that leads to increased pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular failure and death. Patients in World Health Organization functional class (WHO FC) IV are the most severely affected in terms of disease severity, symptomatic impairment, exercise capacity and haemodynamics, with a very poor prognosis and low survival rate. Recent developments in PAH-specific therapies have conferred significant prognostic improvements upon PAH patients, especially when coupled with management strategies such as goal-oriented therapy and combination treatment. Despite these important developments, the outlook for WHO FC IV PAH patients remains poor. This article examines the recommendations for WHO FC IV patients that appear in current PAH treatment guidelines and the research underpinning this guidance, and discusses possible future directions for treatment of this severely unwell patient population.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9487499PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1183/09059180.00008010DOI Listing

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