Title:Pharmacological Therapy of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm: An Update
VOLUME: 16 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Yi-dong Wang, Zhen-jie Liu, Jun Ren and Mei-Xiang Xiang*
Affiliation:Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Key Lab of Zhejiang Province, #88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310009, Department of Vascular Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, #88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310009, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, Department of Cardiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Cardiovascular Key Lab of Zhejiang Province, #88 Jiefang Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310009
Keywords:Abdominal aortic aneurysm, clinical trials, medical treatment, pharmacological therapy, molecular target, disease.
Abstract:Background: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), a progressive segmental abdominal aortic
dilation, is associated with high mortality. AAA is characterized by inflammation, smooth muscle cell
(SMC) depletion and extracellular matrix (ECM) degradation. Surgical intervention and endovascular
therapy are recommended to prevent rupture of large AAAs. Unfortunately, there is no reliable pharmacological
agent available to limit AAA expansion. In the past decades, extensive investigations and a body of
ongoing clinical trials aimed at defining potent treatments to inhibit and even regress AAA growth.
Conclusion: In this review, we summarized recent progress of potential strategies, particularly macrolides,
tetracyclines, statins, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blocker, corticosteroid,
anti-platelet drugs and mast cell stabilizers. We also consider recently identified novel molecular
targets, which have potential to be translated into clinical practice in the future.
