Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension : Current Concepts and Clinical Aspects

This program has been produced from the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) annual meeting, CHEST 2002, and supported through an unrestricted educational grant from Actelion Pharmaceuticals.

The topic, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is an important area due to its progressive, debilitating effect on patients.

The disorder occurs most commonly in young and middle-aged women.

Prognosis is poor with a mean survival of 2 to 3 years from the onset of symptoms.

Although the mechanisms responsible for the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension remain incompletely understood, significant advances have been achieved recently in our understanding of the cellular and molecular processes involved, along with associated treatment options.

This program gives the reader the opportunity to hear from leading experts imparting the latest information on this disease process.

Topics specifically discussed include: The pathogenesis of PAH The occurrence of PAH secondary to scleroderma and in the presence of interstitial lung disease The leading conventional therapies approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) The use of oral endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan