Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with left heart disease (LHD) is a complex cardiopulmonary condition where a variable degree of pulmonary congestion, arterial vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling can lead to PH and right heart strain. Right heart dysfunction has a significant prognostic impact on these patients. Therefore, preserving right ventricular (RV) function is an important treatment goal. However, the treatment of PH in patients with left heart disease has produced conflicting evidence. The transition from pure LHD to LHD with PH is a continuum and clinically challenging. The heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) patient population is heterogeneous when it comes to PH and RV function. Appropriate clinical and hemodynamic phenotyping of patients with HFpEF and concomitant PH is paramount to making the appropriate treatment decision. This manuscript will summarize the current evidence for the use of pulmonary arterial vasodilators in patients with HFpEF.

Keywords: Pulmonary hypertension, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, left heart disease, pulmonary vasodilators, combined pre- and post-capillary pulmonary hypertension.

Graphical Abstract