Application of inhaled levosimendan in pulmonary hypertension complicated with right heart failure

doi:10.12092/j.issn.1009-2501.2025.08.017

Abstract

Abstract: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious disease characterized by abnormally high pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP), which leads to increased cardiac burden and may eventually lead to right heart failure. Levosimendan, as a calcium sensitizer, has the dual role of enhancing cardiac constriction force and promoting vascular dilation. It shows a good prospect in the treatment of PH combined with right heart failure by reducing PAP, increasing RV contractile force and reducing anterior and posterior cardiac load without increasing myocardial oxygen consumption. Since it does not increase the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, it avoids the arrhythmia-inducing, reduced coronary perfusion and other side effects of other positive inotropic drugs. At present, levosimandan is mainly transfused intravenically, which may lead to systemic hypotension, arrhythmia and other side effects, while inhalation administration can reduce the occurrence of adverse reactions, but its effectiveness and safety in the treatment of PH combined with right heart failure remains to be studied. The purpose of this review was to investigate the role of inhaled levosimendan in PH combined with right heart failure.

Key words: pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, inhaled levosimendan, efficacy, safety

CLC Number:

R543.2

LIU Wanyu, SUN Tongwen, MAO Zhengrong. Application of inhaled levosimendan in pulmonary hypertension complicated with right heart failure[J]. Chinese Journal of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 2025, 30(8): 1147-1152.

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