Published Paper


Challenges in the Pharmacotherapeutic Management of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Mohammed Ismail K S, Jagadeesan M
Tamil Nadu, India
Page: 1053-1062
Published on: 2023 December

Abstract

New medications are now available for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) that can help them improve their exercise capacity, enhance their quality of life, and delay the progression of their condition. However, these medications require careful individualized dose titration to ensure they are effective while minimizing side effects. Different routes of administration, such as intravenous (IV), subcutaneous (SC), and inhaled administration, can also present challenges for patients and healthcare providers. These challenges include the possibility of catheter-related infections (IV), infusion site pain (SC), and difficulties in adhering to frequent dosing schedules (inhaled). Temporary discontinuations may require re-titration and can even be life-threatening. In this article, we provide our recommended dose titration schemes for PAH medications that require individualized dosing for adult patients. These include medications that act on the endothelin-1 pathway (bosentan and ambrisentan), the prostacyclin pathway (epoprostenol, treprostinil, and selexipag), and the nitric oxide pathway (tadalafil and the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat).

 

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