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Statins for Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension

  • Chapter
Pulmonary Hypertension

Part of the book series: Contemporary Cardiology™ ((CONCARD))

Abstract

By virtue of their multiple actions, including anti-inflammatory, antiproliferative, and pro-apoptotic traits and the ability to restore endothelial vasoactive mediator production, statins have been proposed as potential therapies for pulmonary hypertension. In experimental studies in rats with pulmonary hypertension induced either by either monocrotaline or hypoxia, statins have blunted the severity of pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary vascular remodeling, sometimes in association with the restoration of the endothelial cell production of nitric oxide. Pending trials that demonstrate the efficacy of statins in pulmonary arterial hypertension in humans, however, the clinical use of statins should be considered investigational.

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Authors
  1. John L. Faul
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  2. Peter N. Kao
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  3. Toshihiko Nishimura
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  4. Arthur Sung
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  5. Hong Hu
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  6. Ronald G. Pearl
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA

    Nicholas S. Hill MD

  2. Pulmonary Center, Boston University, Boston, MA

    Harrison W. Farber MD

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© 2008 Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

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Faul, J.L., Kao, P.N., Nishimura, T., Sung, A., Hu, H., Pearl, R.G. (2008). Statins for Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension. In: Hill, N.S., Farber, H.W. (eds) Pulmonary Hypertension. Contemporary Cardiology™. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-075-5_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-075-5_15

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-661-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-075-5

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