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Novel putative pharmacological therapies to protect the right ventricle in pulmonary hypertension: a review of current literature
Author(s) -
Maarman Gerald J,
Schulz Rainer,
Sliwa Karen,
Schermuly Ralph Theo,
Lecour Sandrine
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/bph.13721
Subject(s) - pulmonary hypertension , medicine , ventricle , cardiology , pulmonary artery , afterload , pathophysiology , heart failure , right ventricular hypertrophy , pressure overload , ventricular function , muscle hypertrophy , cardiac function curve , cardiac hypertrophy
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined by elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure following the pathological remodelling of small pulmonary arteries. An increase in right ventricular (RV) afterload results in RV hypertrophy and RV failure. The pathophysiology of PH, and RV remodelling in particular, is not well understood, thus explaining, at least in part, why current PH therapies have a limited effect. Existing therapies mostly target the pulmonary circulation. Because the remodelled RV fails to support normal cardiac function, patients eventually succumb from RV failure. Developing novel therapies that directly target the function of the RV may therefore benefit patients with PH. In the past decade, several promising studies have investigated novel cardioprotective strategies in experimental models of PH. This review aims to comprehensively discuss and highlight these novel experimental approaches to confer, in the long‐term, greater health benefit in patients with PH.