Ana Pena, PhD,  —

Portopulmonary hypertension (PoPH) affects a significant proportion of patients who undergo a liver transplant and significantly worsens their outcomes if left untreated, a Chinese study reports. The research underlines the importance of screening liver transplant recipients for PoPH, and treating those with the condition…

A new procedure, performed at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Illinois, successfully treated a patient with pulmonary hypertension (PH) caused by blood clots formed in the lung vessels, a condition referred to as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH).

A new study identified two potential therapeutic targets for pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with heart failure. The two related enzymes, named ROCK1 and ROCK2, were seen to exert opposing effects on heart muscle cells, either preventing or promoting PH, in mouse models of…

Off-label use of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) medications to treat patients with pulmonary hypertension caused by left heart disease (PH-LHD) is common, despite a lack of supporting clinical data. Now, a systematic review and pooled analysis of several clinical…

Stimulating the activity of an immune system receptor called TLR3 led to a reduction of pulmonary hypertension (PH) symptoms in a rat model of the disease, making TLR3 a promising therapeutic target for treating the condition in humans. Researchers said that using treatments to restore…

Use of antidepressants during pregnancy doubles the risk for persistent pulmonary hypertension in the newborn (PPHN), a systematic review of several studies suggests. Out of the antidepressants analyzed, researchers proposed sertraline (brand name Zoloft, marketed by…

For patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) who have undergone nonheart surgeries, self-reporting of walking and stair climbing ability can predict the risk of postsurgical complications, a study found. Researchers say this simple and noninvasive assessment can help identify PH patients at high risk of complications,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to Livantra, a new formulation of an already approved treatment outside the U.S. for another indication, for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to the…

Blood biomarkers may help to predict poor outcomes in babies born with a rare congenital defect of the diaphragm that often leads to pulmonary hypertension (PH). The seven biomarkers, identified by researchers in Germany and evident in the blood within 24 hours of birth, were associated with a…

Adempas (riociguat), an approved therapy for adults with pulmonary hypertension (PH), may hold promise for treating newborns with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and PH, results of an animal study show. These findings suggest that Adempas’ use in babies…

Exercise has a wide range of benefits for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), improving physical capacity and quality of life, among other advantages, according to a recent review study. Researchers emphasize, however, that PH patients should only exercise under the guidance of PH and rehabilitation specialists. The study, “…

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who can walk more than 400 meters (437 yards) on a six-minute walk test have better long-term prognosis, with lower risk of PAH-related death or hospitalization, results from a Phase 3 clinical trial show. The study, “…