Survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension, associated with connective tissue diseases, treated by sildenafil: results of the prospective study

Abstract

Aim. To investigate the effect of sildenafil on the survival of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with connective tissue diseases (CTD), who have been followed up at the Rheumatology Expert Center. Subjects and methods. A total of 16 patients (all women) with PAH associated with CTD, who had been admitted to the V.A.Nasonova Research Institute of Rheumatology in 2013—2015, were examined. PAH corresponded to Functional Class II in the majority of the patients. After the diagnosis was verified by catheterization of the right heart and pulmonary artery, all the patients reсeived original sildenafil (a phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, a potent vasodilator, the efficiency of which was proven in patients with PAH) at a dose of 20 mg thrice daily. Survival rates and time to clinical deterioration were estimated during a prospective follow-up). Results. Three-year survival rates were 94% in the study group and 25% in the group of historical control (p

Keywords

• pulmonary arterial hypertension
• connective tissue diseases
• sildenafil
• systemic sclerosis
• survival