Pulmonary Hypertension

This timely volume addresses the areas of pathophysiology and therapy of pulmonary hypertension, which have seen exciting developments over the past decade. The discoveries of endothelin overexpression as well as prostacyclin and nitric oxide deficiency in association with pulmonary hypertension have led to important therapeutic insights. In addition, the identification of genes associated with pulmonary hypertension has just begun to open the door to new pathophysiologic insights. The new therapies have led to significant improvements in patient function, quality of life and survival.

This book will be of interest not only to cardiologists, pulmonary specialists and rheumatologists, but also many nurses and pharmacotherapists are becoming increasingly involved in the therapy of patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Historical Perspective: A Century of Primary (Idiopathic) Pulmonary Hypertension.- Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension.- Diagnostic Approach to Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- Pathophysiology of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- Pulmonary Hypertension Genes.- The Right Ventricle in Pulmonary Hypertension.- Congenital Heart Disease Associated with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- Connective Tissue Disease Associated Pulmonary Hypertension.- Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with HIV, Liver Disease, Sarcoidosis, and Sickle Cell Disease.- Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.- General Therapeutic Approach and Traditional Therapies.- Prostacyclin Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- Endothelin and Its Blockade in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- PDE5 Inhibitors and the cGMP Pathway in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- Statins for Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension.- Transitions and Combination Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- Acute Right Ventricular Dysfunction: Focus on Acute Cor Pulmonale.- Lung Transplantation and Atrial Septostomy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.- New Directions in Pulmonary Hypertension Therapy.