Joana Carvalho, PhD, managing science editor —

A consensus on the use of oral prostacyclin pathway agents (PPAs), like Uptravi (selexipag), as an add-on to standard therapies for certain types of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was announced by a 19-physician expert panel. PPAs can be an adjunct therapy to standard vasodilator compounds — endothelin…

An international consensus is lacking about what constitutes pulmonary hypertension (PH) in newborns, according to a review study, which recommends the use of standardized criteria to define the disease in these patients. The systematic review, “Variation in the definition of pulmonary hypertension and clinical indications for the use…

Tikosyn (dofetilide), a medicine approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat heart arrhythmias, may be used to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a recent study suggests. The findings warrant further investigation into the therapy’s potential positive effects for patients with PAH,…

Bioelectronic medicine is a promising new therapeutic approach to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a recent review study. The review, “Pulmonary arterial hypertension: the case for a bioelectronic treatment,” was published in the journal Bioelectronic Medicine. Current treatments for PAH include medications that interfere with…

An antibody that recognizes and blocks the activity of osteoprotegerin, a protein involved in the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), was able to stop and even reverse disease progression in animal and cell models of PAH, a study reports. The study, “A therapeutic antibody…

Higher levels of a protein involved in certain immune responses, called soluble suppression of tumorigenicity-2 (sST2), are associated with more severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart dysfunction, a study found. This protein’s potential use as a prognostic biomarker for PH, however, seems to be limited. The study, “The Prognostic Value of…

The Endoarterial Biopsy Catheter (EABC), a tool for performing biopsies on lung artery walls to better evaluate pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in people and responses to treatment, has been designated a humanitarian use device (HUD) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), its maker, Vascular Biosciences,…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted the designation of breakthrough device to SoniVie’s Therapeutic Intra-Vascular Ultrasound (TIVUS) System for the treatment of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Similar to breakthrough therapy, the designation of breakthrough device is given to medical equipment…

Swedish men and women who have been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in recent years have similar survival rates, study says. The study, “Sex-specific differences and survival in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension 2008–2016,” was published in the journal ERJ Open Research. IPAH, a form of…

Lung inflammation caused by a seemingly treatable and common infection may drive the onset of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in people who carry genetic risk factors for the disease. A simple viral infection — such as a bad flu — was able to trigger PAH development in rats with…

A combination therapy of endothelin receptor antagonists (ERA) plus phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE5i) — two different agents that induce blood vessels’ widening and relaxation —improves exercise capacity, and reduces the risk of death and disease worsening in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a review study finds. The…

People who were born prematurely, especially in recent years, are more likely to develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) later in life, a study says. The findings of the study, “Increased risk of pulmonary hypertension following premature birth,” were published in the journal BMC Pediatrics. PAH is a rare,…