Efficacy and safety of iloprost in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The efficacy of iloprost in treating pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is controversial. Adverse reactions such as hypotension may occur during treatment.

Objectives: Aim to evaluate the efficacy and safety of iloprost for PAH.

Methods: Studies were obtained from an electronic search of the CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, SinoMed, PubMed, Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases up to May 18, 2023. A meta-analysis of each study was performed using RevMan 5.4 with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). A randomized or fixed-effects model was applied according to a heterogeneity test.

Results: Twelve trials involving 718 participants were selected, including 433 in five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 285 in seven prospective clinical trials. All the patients received iloprost inhalation. The short- and prolonged treatment groups significantly improved the 6-minute walking distance (6 MWD). The mortality and clinical deterioration incidences in the iloprost group were not significantly different from those in the control group. The mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) was reduced after 3 months of iloprost RCTs and 12 months of prospective treatment. Iloprost decreased pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) by approximately 231.29 units, significantly increased cardiac output (CO), and improved the quality of life (QoL). The main adverse reactions to iloprost treatment were cough (17 %), headache (16.4 %), and flushing (12.4 %).

Conclusion: Iloprost, either used alone or as adjuvant therapy, can enhance exercise capacity, lower hemodynamic parameters, and improve long-term outcomes. However, the risk of mortality and clinical deterioration remains unknown.