Epoprostenol in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Abstract

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a devastating disease leading to right heart failure and death in a relatively young patient population. In recent years novel PAH specific therapies have become available. Objective: To determine the place of epoprostenol in current PAH treatment strategies. Methods: An extensive Medline search was performed to evaluate the use of epoprostenol in PAH. Data from both human and animal studies were reviewed. Results/conclusion: Epoprostenol is an effective and potent treatment in pulmonary arterial hypertension and has greatly improved survival, exercise capacity, PAH symptoms, pulmonary haemodynamics and disease progression. A main disadvantage is that it can only be delivered through a continuous intravenous pump infusion.

Keywords::

• epoprostenol
• prostacyclin
• prostanoid
• pulmonary arterial hypertension
• review