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Combination therapy for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  21849335     Owner:  NLM     Status:  Publisher    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Multiple medical therapies have been developed for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) over the last decade and a half. Unfortunately, none of these medications is curative and the majority of patients develop disease progression despite treatment. Presently available medications target one of three known pathways that have been implicated in disease pathogenesis. The multiplicity of pulmonary vascular abnormalities identified in PAH provides the rationale for a therapeutic strategy that targets more than one mechanism at a time. Although a handful of studies have demonstrated clinical improvement in PAH patients who have a second medication added to stable background therapy in a randomized, placebo-controlled fashion, it is unclear whether the derived benefit is due to the combination of two therapies or merely the response to the new agent. This review discusses the rationale for combination therapy, critically reviews the findings of presently completed combination studies and outlines the need for new studies that are better designed to determine whether combination therapy is more efficacious than single agent therapies for the treatment of PAH.
Authors:
Andrew T Levinson; James R Klinger
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Publication Detail:
Type:  JOURNAL ARTICLE     Date:  2011-8-17
Journal Detail:
Title:  Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease     Volume:  -     ISSN:  1753-4666     ISO Abbreviation:  -     Publication Date:  2011 Aug 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2011-8-18     Completed Date:  -     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101316317     Medline TA:  Ther Adv Respir Dis     Country:  -    
Other Details:
Languages:  ENG     Pagination:  -     Citation Subset:  -    
Affiliation:
Division of Pulmonary, Sleep and Critical Care Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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