Alice Melão, MSc,  —

Whether a pulmonary arterial hypertension patient has scleroderma has no bearing on the outcome of their PAH after they receive a lung transplant, a study reports. Scleroderma, also known as systemic sclerosis, is a chronic autoimmune disease caused by abnormal production of connective tissue. It primarily affects the skin…

People with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) are more likely to have a depressive temperament, finds a Japanese study, “Depressive Status in Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension” that appeared in the Circulation Journal. CTEPH is a progressive disease characterized by increasing pulmonary vascular resistance. Although the underlying…

Collecting tissue samples from vessels damaged by pulmonary hypertension (PH) can help scientists learn about molecular mechanisms that cause the disease, as well as which may help in its treatment, according to a new study. The study, “Assessment of microRNA and gene dysregulaton in pulmonary hypertension by…

Reata Pharmaceuticals is enrolling participants for two ongoing clinical trials of bardoxolone methyl as a treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension (PH) caused by an underlying interstitial lung disease. Bardoxolone methyl belongs to a class of small molecules that target an important transcription factor called Nrf2.

The INOpulse nitric-oxide dispenser improves respiratory and exercise capacity in patients with difficult-to-treat pulmonary hypertension associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (PH-IPF), a Phase 2 trial indicates. Bellerophon Therapeutics, which developed INOpulse, will present the trial results at an  international conference of the American Thoracic Society International Conference in Washington on May 21.

Researchers have shown that assessing vasculature structures by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can retrieve important information and has predictive potential for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. In combination with clinical data, MRI can increase the accuracy of determining PAH severity and outcomes, and improve decisions regarding therapies. The finding, from researchers…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is joining Periwinkle Hearts Around the World, an 80-organization international campaign to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients’ need for better access to care. Stiffness in the lung’s arteries and veins causes the high lung blood pressure that characterizes PH. Patients experience shortness of…

The INOpulse inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) delivery system improved lung-pressure measurements in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients, according to its maker, Bellerophon Therapeutics. It presented the results at the 37th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) in San Diego April 5-8. The title of…

The medication Adempas (riociguat) effectively improves several hemodynamic parameters in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to the Phase 3 PATENT-1 clinical trial. Results showed that the drug improved these parameters — which included pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), right atrial pressure (RAP) and cardiac index — not only in PAH…

An international study to assess clinical practices in the diagnosis and management of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) found several differences in CTEPH management among regions, but also a gap between guideline procedures and real-life practice of diagnosis and treatment. The study, “An International Physician Survey of…

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients who carry mutations in a gene called BMPR2 have a very distinctive profile, a new study reports. Due to bronchial arterial remodeling and new vessel formation, these patients are more prone to coughing up blood from the lungs or bronchial tubes (hemoptysis), and to showing increased…

Physical exercise can modulate the immune response that activates inflammation in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension to improve their cardiopulmonary function and quality of life, a study published in the BMC Pulmonary Medicine reported. Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive vascular disease characterized by increased blood pressure in the lung vasculature,…