Marta Figueiredo, PhD, science writer —

The presence of specific patterns called centrilobular ground-glass opacifications (cGGOs) in high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) lung scans is associated with a two-year higher risk of death in people with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), according to a small study in Poland. These findings suggest that chest HRCT data could…

Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE) quickly and significantly improved blood flow dynamics and right-sided heart function in people with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), with the surgery’s benefits sustained over the long term, a small study shows. Notably, right ventricular (RV) free wall strain, an indirect and non-invasive measure of…

The blood levels of two molecules involved in vascular remodeling, a hallmark feature of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), may be used as noninvasive predictive biomarkers of the disease, a small study suggests. The study, “Fibrinolytic markers could be useful predictors of severity in patients with pulmonary…

Bilateral lung transplant rapidly and effectively normalizes right ventricular function of the heart in children with severe pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and heart failure, a study reports. These benefits in the 15 children evaluated were also independent of a child’s age, weight, and right ventricular (RV) impairment before the transplant. Given…

People with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) have significantly worse quality of life at their initial assessment, and higher hospitalization rates over time, relative to idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients, according to a multicenter study in the U.S. Notably, these quality-of-life differences disappeared over time, and CTEPH…

In people experiencing a pulmonary embolism, higher-than-normal arterial stiffness at the time of hospital discharge increased the risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) when evaluated one month later, according to a study in Italy. Given that this patient population is at risk of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension…

TPN171H, an experimental oral therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), was generally safe and showed a favorable pharmacological profile in healthy volunteers, according to data from a Phase 1 clinical trial. The therapy — previously reported to be a more potent and selective PDE5 suppressor than sildenafil in…

The Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) GAP Funds has invested in OxiWear and its ear-wearable device designed to continuously monitor blood oxygen levels in people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and alert them when levels fall below safe thresholds. Oxiwear is expected to help patients get the help they…

A combination of lung injury and increased activation of B-cells — immune cells responsible for antibody production — was sufficient to promote symptoms of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in mice, a study shows. In addition, increased B-cell activation and higher levels of immune cells known to promote antibody production also were…

A three-month unsupervised health intervention based on a commercial activity tracker and motivational texts significantly increased daily step counts and improved quality of life in adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to data from a single-center trial in the U.S. Since physical activity has been shown to…

Keros Therapeutics’ experimental therapy KER-012 prevented increases in the levels of markers for inflammation, fibrosis (scarring), and heart damage in a rat model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a study shows. “We believe that the current study supports that KER-012 has the potential to treat PAH in patients without…

Tyvaso (inhaled treprostinil) has become the first treatment approved in the U.S. for people with pulmonary hypertension associated with interstitial lung disease (PH-ILD). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Tyvaso, developed by United Therapeutics, to improve exercise ability in PH-ILD patients, the company said. “The…