Drug Combo Improves PAH

Results of a new 12-week study combiningiloprost and bosentan showedimprovements in patients with pulmonaryarterial hypertension (PAH).University of Michigan Medical Centerresearchers followed 65 PAH patientsbeing treated with the endothelianreceptor antagonist bosentan. Thirty-twopatients began taking inhaled iloprost inaddition to bosentan; 33 received bosentanplus placebo. At the end of 12 weeks,the bosentan-iloprost group could walk98 feet farther in their 6-minute walktest. Eleven of the 32 in the combination-therapygroup showed improvement,and none of them showed signs of clinicaldeterioration.PAH is characterized by a progressivenarrowing of the blood vessels in thelungs and can be fatal. Symptoms, whichonly get worse over time, include shortnessof breath, fatigue, weakness, dizziness,and fainting.

The report can be found in the December2006 issue of the American Journal ofRespiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Ms. Farley is a freelance medicalwriter based in Wakefield, RI.