Initial dual oral combination therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Issue 6 (17th March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sitbon, Olivier; Sattler, Caroline; Bertoletti, Laurent; Savale, Laurent; Cottin, Vincent; Jaïs, Xavier; De Groote, Pascal; Chaouat, Ari; Chabannes, Céline; Bergot, Emmanuel; Bouvaist, Hélène; Dauphin, Claire; Bourdin, Arnaud; Bauer, Fabrice; Montani, David; Humbert, Marc; Simonneau, Gérald
• Is Part Of: European respiratory journal. Volume 47:Issue 6(2016)
• Page Start: 1727
• Page End: 1736
• Publication Date: 2016-03-17
• Subjects: Respiratory organs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; Respiration -- Periodicals; 616.2
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.02043-2015
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0903-1936

Abstract

Treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been underpinned by single-agent therapy to which concomitant drugs are added sequentially when pre-defined treatment goals are not met. This retrospective analysis of real-world clinical data in 97 patients with newly diagnosed PAH (86% in New York Heart Association functional class III−IV) explored initial dual oral combination treatment with bosentan plus sildenafil (n=61), bosentan plus tadalafil (n=17), ambrisentan plus tadalafil (n=11) or ambrisentan plus sildenafil (n=8). All regimens were associated with significant improvements in functional class, exercise capacity, dyspnoea and haemodynamic indices after 4 months of therapy. Over a median follow-up period of 30 months, 75 (82%) patients were still alive, 53 (71%) of whom received only dual oral combination therapy. Overall survival rates were 97%, 94% and 83% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively, and 96%, 94% and 84%, respectively, for the patients with idiopathic PAH, heritable PAH and anorexigen-induced PAH. Expected survival rates calculated from the French equation for the latter were 86%, 75% and 66% at 1, 2 and 3 years, respectively. Initial combination of oral PAH-targeted medications may offer clinical benefits, especially in PAH patients with severe haemodynamic impairment. Initial dual combination therapy may offer potential benefits in PAH patients with severe haemodynamic impairment http://ow.ly/YNxgk