Effect of short-term oral sildenafil treatment in primary pulmonary hypertension Pri̇mer pulmoner hi̇pertansi̇yonda kisa süreli̇ oral si̇ldenafi̇l tedavi̇si̇ni̇n etki̇nli̇ǧi̇
Turk Kardiyoloji Dernegi Arsivi, vol.31, no.2, pp.82-87, 2003 (Scopus, TRDizin)
- Publication Type: Article / Article
- Volume: 31 Issue: 2
- Publication Date: 2003
- Journal Name: Turk Kardiyoloji Dernegi Arsivi
- Journal Indexes: Scopus, TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
- Page Numbers: pp.82-87
- Keywords: Primary pulmonary hypertension, Pulmonary vasodilatation, Sildenafil
- Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a disease with a poor prognosis with no effective treatment. Sildenafil, a selective phosphodiesterase-5 enzyme inhibitor, causes pulmonary vasodilatation by increasing cyclic guanosine monophosphate levels. In order to investigate the effect and safety of short-term oral high-dose sildenafil treatment on hemodynamic parameters in patients with PPH 8 patients were given sildenafil at a dose of 200 mg/day (50 mg q.i.d) for 3 days. Right and left heart catheterization was performed before treatment and 1 hour after the last dose of sildenafil. No significant change in mean systemic arterial blood pressure (90±9 mmHg, pre-treatment; 88±7 mmHg, post-treatment; p=0.125) was observed with a significant decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure (60±11 mmHg, pre-treatment; 54±14 mmHg, post-treatment; p=0.008). No side effect requiring withdrawal of sildenafil was observed. When patients were evaluated individually, the decrease in mean pulmonary artery pressure was over 20% in 2 patients, between 5 and 10% in 2 patients and below 5% in 4 patients. Thus, sildenafil treatment decreased mean pulmonary artery pressure by a selective vasodilatory effect on pulmonary vascular bed in patients with PPH. Nonetheless, this effect is variable among patients.