Conditions: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Allocation: NA | Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Enrollment: 10
Healthy volunteers: no

Brief summary:
The purpose of this study is to determine whether carvedilol treatment of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension and associated right heart failure is safe and results in an improved function of the right heart.

Detailed description:
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) will be treated with carvedilol for 24 weeks. During this time, carvedilol will be titrated from an initial dose of 3.125mg BID to a maximal dose of 25mg BID. At the start and end of the study, we will obtain cardiac MRI, 6 minute walk distance, brain natriuretic peptide (serum), echocardiogram, and functional class assessment. Our primary outcome is a change in right ventricular ejection fraction with cardiac MRI.

Arms:
arm 1: Carvedilol is titrated from a dose of 3.125mg twice daily to a maximal dose of 25mg twice daily over 24 weeks. Patients are evaluated to their response with 6 minute walk testing, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI

Interventions: intervention 1: Carvedilol
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: twice daily oral treatment in escalating dose

Protocol document: