Sildenafil should be avoided in valve disease with residual pulmonary hypertension, study suggests
"Valvular disease is considered the next cardiac epidemic because of its strong association with age and the rapid aging of the population worldwide," said principal investigator Dr Javier Bermejo, a cardiologist at Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañon, Madrid, Spain. "The only established treatment is repair or replacement of the valve surgically or percutaneously," he continued. "But symptoms often remain or reappear in the long-term. Residual pulmonary hypertension is the most important risk factor for death and disability after successful correction of the valvular lesion." Pulmonary hypertension refers to increased blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. In patients with long-standing valvular disease, the high pressure in the left side of the heart is transmitted backwards to the lung vessels which react by thickening. This process may not revert after valve treatment, resulting in persistent pulmonary hypertension. Sildenafil (cen...