The treatment and management of pulmonary hypertension (PH) depends on the specific kind a person has.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) can be:
In the last 25 years, the medical community has made remarkable progress in treating these forms of PH. They often respond to one form of therapy or a combination of therapies.
Our experts at the UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program work with each person to prescribe the right treatment or management method. This helps improve daily function and prolong life.
There are currently 12 FDA-approved drugs for PAH.
Delivery methods of medicines include:
| Therapy | Description | Medicines |
|---|---|---|
|
Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors |
Pills that prevent the breakdown of the lungs’ own natural substance that causes the blood vessels to relax. |
Oral: Tadalafil (Adcirca®) |
| Soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulator |
Pills that work in the same pathway as PDE-5 inhibitors, but cause cells in the pulmonary arteries to produce more cyclic GMP — the substance that causes the arteries to relax. |
Oral: Riociguat (Adempas®) |
| Endothelin receptor blockers (ERBs) | Pills that inhibit a substance made by the body (endothelin) that causes blood vessels to narrow from binding to the muscular layer in pulmonary arteries. This in turn leads to relaxation of the pulmonary arteries. |
Oral: Bosentan (Tracleer®) |
| Prostacyclins |
Medicines for more advanced PAH that must be given by continuous infusion. Prostaglandin is a steroid that the body produces naturally. It causes blood vessels in the lungs to relax and allows blood to flow through them easily. Prostacyclins are man-made substances that act like prostaglandin and cause the blood vessels become less narrow. Medicines that are infused subcutaneously or through a catheter intravenously come with a portable pump that patients:
Medicines that require inhalation come with a specific inhaler device that patients use for treatment between four and six times per day. |
Intravenous: Epoprostenol (Flolan®) Intravenous or subcutaneous: Treprostinil (Remodulin®) Inhaled: Treprostinil (Tyvaso®) Oral: Treprostinil (Orenitram™) |
Other medical therapies for PAH may include:
Current research has focused on combining existing and newer therapies to improve outcomes.
In our program, we are always at the cutting edge of new medical therapies for PH, either directly through clinical trials or through close communication with PH drug developers.
To schedule an appointment at the UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program, contact us at:
Links below open a new window.
From our HealthBeat blog:
UPMC Patient Education Materials:
From our Health Library:
