Efficacy and safety of sildenafil in the evaluation of pulmonary hypertension in severe heart failure.

Abstract

This study sought to evaluate the utility of sildenafil in assessing pulmonary artery reactivity in left-sided cardiac failure and secondary pulmonary hypertension (PH). Fourteen consecutive patients with heart failure were studied, with oral doses of either sildenafil 25 mg (n = 8) or 50 mg (n = 6) every 8 hours for </=3 doses, and invasive serial hemodynamic measurements were performed. Thirteen patients (93%) demonstrated >20% decreases in pulmonary artery pressures. There was also a 20% reduction of the pulmonary vascular resistance/systemic vascular resistance ratio, indicating relative pulmonary artery selectivity. Compared with sildenafil 25 mg, sildenafil 50 mg demonstrated greater reductions of pulmonary pressures. Oral sildenafil is safe and effective for the evaluation of PH reactivity in heart failure.

• Authors: Jamshid Alaeddini, Patricia A Uber, Myung H Park, Robert L Scott, Hector O Ventura, Mandeep R Mehra
• Journal: The American journal of cardiology (Am J Cardiol) Vol. 94 Issue 11 Pg. 1475-7 (Dec 01 2004) ISSN: 0002-9149 [Print] United States
• PMID: 15566933 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Controlled Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Piperazines
• Purines
• Sulfones
• Vasodilator Agents
• Sildenafil Citrate

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Adult
• Aged
• Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
• Female
• Heart Failure (complications)
• Hemodynamics
• Humans
• Hypertension, Pulmonary (diagnosis)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Piperazines (adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Purines
• Sildenafil Citrate
• Sulfones
• Vascular Resistance
• Vasodilator Agents (adverse effects, pharmacology)
• Ventricular Dysfunction, Left