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Rawal H, Suman A, Bhoite RR, Kanwal A, Young RK, Aronow WS, Lavie C, Ghosh RK. Anticoagulation in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Do We Know the Answer? Curr Probl Cardiol 2020; 46:100738. [PMID: 33250263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2020.100738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The shear stress and hypoxia in the pulmonary artery in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH) causes endothelial dysfunction, smooth muscle proliferation and activation of thrombotic pathways leading to in situ thrombosis. Targeting the thrombotic pathways is a proposed mechanism to slow disease progression and improve survival. Over the years, the survival in patients with PAH has improved due to multiple factors with the increased use of anticoagulation as one of them. Both European Respiratory Society/European Society of Cardiology and American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association guidelines make grade II recommendations for using anticoagulation in PAH. The guidelines are based on weak observational studies with high risk of bias which have only studied warfarin as the choice of anticoagulation. In this article, we review the pathophysiology, rationale and the current literature investigating the role of anticoagulation in PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Himanshu Rawal
- Department of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Allergy and Immunology, Wake Forest Baptist Health, Winston-Salem, NC
| | - Annya Suman
- Department of Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Rahul R Bhoite
- Department of Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Arjun Kanwal
- Department of Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Raymond K Young
- Department of Medicine, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD
| | - Wilbert S Aronow
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Westchester Medical Center, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
| | - Carl Lavie
- John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, New Orleans, LA
| | - Raktim K Ghosh
- MedStar Heart and Vascular Institute, Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
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Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is characterized by molecular and pathologic alteration to the pulmonary circulation, resulting in increased pulmonary vascular resistance, right ventricular failure, and eventual death. Pharmacologic treatment of PAH consists of use of a multitude of pulmonary vasodilators, sometimes in combination. PAH has been associated with increased thrombosis and disrupted coagulation and fibrinolysis, making anticoagulation an attractive and frequently employed therapeutic modality. Observational studies have provided some insight into the therapeutic potential of anticoagulation in idiopathic PAH, but there is a distinct lack of well-controlled prospective trials. Due to the conflicting evidence, there is a large amount of heterogeneity in the application of therapeutic anticoagulation in PAH and further well-controlled prospective trials are needed to clarify its role in treating PAH.
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Kang BJ, Oh YM, Lee SD, Lee JS. Survival benefits of warfarin in Korean patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. Korean J Intern Med 2015; 30:837-45. [PMID: 26552459 PMCID: PMC4642013 DOI: 10.3904/kjim.2015.30.6.837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2014] [Revised: 12/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is an incurable disease with high mortality. Although most studies recommend anticoagulation treatment for IPAH, the benefits are uncertain, particularly in Korea, where it has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate survival outcomes of Korean patients with IPAH treated with warfarin. METHODS We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients diagnosed previously with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) at the Asan Medical Center in Korea, between January 1994 and February 2013. We excluded patients with associated PAH, patients who did not undergo right heart catheterization (RHC), and patients with a positive vasoreactivity test. Patients in the study cohort were classified into a "warfarin group" and a "non-warfarin group," according to the treatment they received during the first year after diagnosis. RESULTS We identified 31 patients with IPAH and a negative vasoreactivity test on RHC. Median patient age was 36.0 years, and 23 patients (74.2%) were female. The median time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 19.0 months, and the most common presenting symptom was dyspnea. Survival rates of the patients at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 90.2%, 79.5%, 62.7%, and 34.8%, respectively. The mean survival period was 12.0 years in the warfarin group and 6.1 years in the non-warfarin group. Warfarin treatment had significant survival benefits in patients with IPAH (p = 0.023). CONCLUSIONS Warfarin treatment substantially improved survival outcomes in Korean cases of IPAH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jae Seung Lee
- Correspondence to Jae Seung Lee, M.D. Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05505, Korea Tel: +82-2-3010-3994 Fax: +82-2-3010-6968 E-mail:
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Lannan KL, Phipps RP, White RJ. Thrombosis, platelets, microparticles and PAH: more than a clot. Drug Discov Today 2014; 19:1230-5. [PMID: 24747560 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2014.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease that involves pathological remodeling, vasoconstriction and thrombosis. Alterations in hemostasis, coagulation and platelet activation are consistently observed in PAH patients. Microparticles derived from platelets, inflammatory cells and the endothelium are an increasingly well-recognized signal in a variety of cardiovascular diseases, including PAH. This review will focus on the roles of coagulation, thrombosis, platelet activation and microparticles in the pathology and progression of PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie L Lannan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Richard P Phipps
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - R James White
- Aab Cardiovascular Research Institute and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
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Nikpour M, Stevens W, Proudman SM, Buchbinder R, Prior D, Zochling J, Williams T, Gabbay E, Nandurkar H. Should patients with systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension be anticoagulated? Intern Med J 2014; 43:599-603. [PMID: 23668273 DOI: 10.1111/imj.12111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 03/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a major cause of mortality in scleroderma and despite 'advanced' therapies confers a median survival of less than 5 years. Anticoagulation in systemic sclerosis-related PAH (SSc-PAH) is currently one of the most contentious issues in the management of patients with connective tissue disease. While some studies have shown a survival benefit with warfarin therapy in this disease, others have not. Accordingly, a state of clinical equipoise exists in relation to anticoagulation in SSc-PAH. With an over fivefold reduction in mortality demonstrated in some observational studies, the issue of anticoagulation in SSc-PAH demands resolution through a well-designed randomised controlled trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Nikpour
- Department of Medicine, St Vincent's Academic Centre, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
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Johnson SR, Granton JT, Tomlinson GA, Grosbein HA, Le T, Lee P, Seary ME, Hawker GA, Feldman BM. Warfarin in systemic sclerosis-associated and idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. A Bayesian approach to evaluating treatment for uncommon disease. J Rheumatol 2012; 39:276-85. [PMID: 22247353 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.110765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Warfarin is recommended in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) and idiopathic PAH (IPAH) to improve survival. There is no evidence to support this in SSc-PAH and the evidence in IPAH is conflicting. We evaluated the ability of warfarin to improve survival using 2 large SSc-PAH and IPAH cohorts. METHODS The effect of warfarin on all-cause mortality was evaluated. Bayesian propensity scores (PS) were used to adjust for baseline differences between patients exposed and not exposed to warfarin, and to assemble a matched cohort. Bayesian Cox proportional hazards models were constructed using informative priors based on international PAH expert elicitation. RESULTS Review of 1138 charts identified 275 patients with SSc-PAH (n = 78; 28% treated with warfarin) and 155 patients with IPAH (n = 91; 59% treated with warfarin). Baseline differences in PAH severity and medications were resolved using PS matching. In the matched cohort of 98 patients with SSc-PAH (49 treated with warfarin), the posterior median hazard ratio (HR) was 1.06 [95% credible interval (CrI) 0.70, 1.63]. In the matched cohort of 66 patients with IPAH (33 treated with warfarin), the posterior median HR was 1.07 (95% CrI 0.57, 1.98). The probability that warfarin improves median survival by 6 months or more is 23.5% in SSc-PAH and 27.7% in IPAH. Conversely, there is a > 70% probability that warfarin provides no significant benefit or is harmful. CONCLUSION There is a low probability that warfarin improves survival in SSc-PAH and IPAH. Given the availability of other PAH therapies with demonstrable benefits, there is little reason to use warfarin to improve survival for these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindhu R Johnson
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Johnson SR, Granton JT, Tomlinson GA, Grosbein HA, Hawker GA, Feldman BM. Effect of warfarin on survival in scleroderma-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH) and idiopathic PAH. Belief elicitation for Bayesian priors. J Rheumatol 2010; 38:462-9. [PMID: 21159827 DOI: 10.3899/jrheum.100632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Warfarin use in scleroderma (SSc)-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and idiopathic PAH (IPAH) is controversial. A prerequisite for a trial is the demonstration of community uncertainty. We evaluated experts' beliefs about the effect of warfarin on 3-year survival in SSc-PAH and IPAH, and factors that influence warfarin use. METHODS PAH experts attending the 2008 American College of Rheumatology or American Thoracic Society meetings expressed the probability of 3-year survival without and with warfarin and their degree of uncertainty by applying adhesive dots, each representing a 5% weight of probability, in "bins" on a line, creating a prior probability distribution or prior. Using a numeric rating scale, participants rated factors that influence their use of warfarin. RESULTS Forty-five experts (44% pulmonologists, 38% rheumatologists, 16% cardiologists, 2% internists) underwent the belief elicitation interview. In SSc-PAH, the mean probabilities of 3-year survival without and with warfarin were 54% and 56%, respectively. Pessimistic experts believe that warfarin worsens survival by 7%. Optimistic experts believe that warfarin improves survival by 13%. In IPAH, the mean probabilities of 3-year survival without and with warfarin were 68% and 76%. Factors (mean rating out of 10, 0 = not at all important, 10 = extremely important) that influence experts' use of warfarin were functional class (5.4), age (5.4), pulmonary artery pressure (5.2), peripheral vascular disease (3.6), disease duration (2.8), and sex (1.7). CONCLUSION Bayesian priors effectively quantify and illustrate experts' beliefs about the effect of warfarin on survival in SSc-PAH and IPAH. This study demonstrates the presence of uncertainty about the effect of warfarin, and provides justification for a clinical trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sindhu R Johnson
- Division of Rheumatology, Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5T 2S8, Canada.
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Abstract
After half a century of clinical experience and research, management of pulmonary arterial hypertension remains a challenge. Currently, data to support the use of standard therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (oxygen supplementation, diuretics, digoxin, anticoagulation, and calcium channel blockers) are mostly retrospective, uncontrolled prospective, or derived from other diseases with similar but not identical manifestations. In the absence of any further prospective, controlled studies, it is reasonable to use these therapies when they are tolerated. When these therapies are poorly tolerated, however, the threshold for discontinuation should be low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoaib Alam
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Penn State University-Hershey Medical Center, 500 University Drive, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
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Rigau D, Agustí A. [Treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension with vasodilator drugs]. Med Clin (Barc) 2003; 120:194-6. [PMID: 12605828 DOI: 10.1016/s0025-7753(03)73645-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David Rigau
- Fundació Institut Català de Farmacologia. Servicio de Farmacología Clínica. Hospital Vall d'Hebron. Barcelona. España
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