Treatment with 20 mg Revatio (sildenafil) three times a day may be more effective than lower dosages, a clinical trial has concluded. The study, “Efficacy of 1, 5, and 20 mg oral sildenafil in the treatment of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a randomized, double-blind study with open-label extension.” appeared in…
Infants, newborns and children with pulmonary hypertension (PH) can be safely and effectively treated with phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE-5) inhibitors, according to a new study. The review study, “Pulmonary Hypertension Therapy and a Systematic Review of Efficacy and Safety of PDE-5 Inhibitors,” appeared in the journal Pediatrics. PDE-5 inhibitors such…
Older age and abnormal oxygen-carbon monoxide blood levels may lead to poorer survival in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), compared to patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), a new study reports. The study, “Idiopathic And Systemic Sclerosis Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: A Comparison Of…
Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – or “bad cholesterol” – which is associated with an increased mortality risk, according to a new study. PAH treatment may increase LDL-C levels. The study, “Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol And Survival In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,”…
A patient treated with chemotherapy and radiation after breast cancer surgery developed pulmonary hypertension and other heart complications, according to a case study. Researchers called for doctors to watch for patients at high risk of heart damage due to cancer therapy, and recommended echocardiography for the detection of such cases. The…
Training with an oscillatory whole-body vibration (WBV) device may improve the exercise capacity, physical performance and quality of life of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to results of a new trial. The findings were published in an article titled “Oscillatory Whole-Body Vibration Improves Exercise Capacity And Physical Performance…
In a Phase 3 clinical trial, Opsumit (macitentan) did not meet the study’s primary goal — improved exercise capacity — in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) due to Eisenmenger syndrome, Actelion, the drug’s manufacturer, announced. Study results, however, will take time to interpret due to a “persistent placebo effect,”…
Women with high-risk congenital heart disease can safely become pregnant and give birth if they are carefully monitored and managed by doctors, according to a new scientific statement by the American Heart Association. “Management Of Pregnancy In Patients With Complex Congenital Heart Disease: A Scientific Statement For Healthcare Professionals…
Almost one-fourth of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients in a small recent study had pulmonary artery aneurysm (PAA), a condition marked by serious heart complications. Its researchers recommend that PAH patients with signs of heart failure be screened for aneurysms. The study, “Cardiac Dysfunction Of Pulmonary Artery Aneurysm In…
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted several modifications proposed by Bellerophon Therapeutics for its Phase 3 program to evaluate the efficacy and safety of INOpulse in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Under the new testing program, INOpulse may be ready for FDA review and possible…
The specific benefits of balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) on the respiratory function of patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) depends on what area of the lung, or lung field, the procedure is performed on, according to new research. This finding was published in the article “Effect Of Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty…
The hardships felt by caregivers of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are “multidimensional” — emotional, physical and economic — and those burdens should be recognized and caregivers’ own physical and psychological needs accounted for, as their work is increasingly necessary to societies in which patients are living longer, a recent review study argues. In the review, “…
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