Pulmonary Hypertension Secondary to COPD

The development of pulmonary hypertension in COPD adversely affects survival and exercise capacity and is associated with an increased risk of severe acute exacerbations. Unfortunately not all patients with COPD who meet criteria for long term oxygen therapy benefit from it. Even in those who benefi...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Adil Shujaat, Abubakr A. Bajwa, James D. Cury
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Pulmonary Medicine
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/203952
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Summary:The development of pulmonary hypertension in COPD adversely affects survival and exercise capacity and is associated with an increased risk of severe acute exacerbations. Unfortunately not all patients with COPD who meet criteria for long term oxygen therapy benefit from it. Even in those who benefit from long term oxygen therapy, such therapy may reverse the elevated pulmonary artery pressure but cannot normalize it. Moreover, the recent discovery of the key roles of endothelial dysfunction and inflammation in the pathogenesis of PH provides the rationale for considering specific pulmonary vasodilators that also possess antiproliferative properties and statins.
ISSN:2090-1836
2090-1844