Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Low blood levels of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are associated with right heart failure in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a study reports. Experiments in mouse models of PH, however, suggest that the low BDNF levels are a consequence, and not the cause, of right heart failure. The…

Four genes associated with the metabolism of copper in the body have been identified as potential diagnostic biomarkers of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a new study reports. Researchers used computer software tools to look for specific genes tied to copper metabolism that may serve as less-invasive markers for diagnosing…

The accumulation of aggrecan, a protein found abundantly in cartilage, may be an early response to injury in the lungs of people with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, a study suggests. Aggrecan accumulated preferentially in blood vessel lesions marked by high blood pressure in the lungs of idiopathic PAH (IPAH)…

People with pulmonary hypertension (PH) who took dipyrone to help manage pain were at a significantly lower risk of assisted ventilation and hospitalization then patients not using this prescription painkiller, according to a large, real-world study. Animal work suggests that dipyrone lowers blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, and a…

Treatment with C75, an inhibitor of an enzyme called fatty acid synthase (FAS), partially reversed disease processes in a mouse model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a study reports. C75 benefits may be linked to changes in pathways involved in cell proliferation and inflammation, among other processes, “thus inhibition…

Sensydia has completed a development study to assess the effectiveness of its Cardiac Performance System (CPS) in identifying people at risk for pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure. CPS is a handheld, noninvasive device powered by artificial intelligence that uses heart sound analysis to detect PH. The device’s…

The PHenomenal Impact Fund for Global PH Research is accepting research proposals, according to a press release. On its fifth year, Team PHenomenal Hope’s research fund will award up to $50,000 for 12 months for proposals that focus on new concepts in pulmonary hypertension (PH) that have…

Increasing the levels of the Tex261 protein — either as a preventive or therapeutic approach — eased the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a rat model of the disease, a new study shows. These benefits were seen after the scientists had found that PAH development in…

Infants with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who were put on Adempas (riociguat) after Revatio (sildenafil) and other therapies failed to control their symptoms showed improvements in lung and right heart function, according to data from a small study. They also had a reduction in high blood pressure…

Children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) experience lower quality of life because of their functional impairments, especially if they have poor right heart function, according to a study conducted in Hungary. Despite PAH treatment, the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in these children was similar to that of…

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is linked with changes in the gut microbiome — the vast community of bacteria, fungi, and viruses that colonize the gastrointestinal tract — and an imbalance in protective versus disease-related metabolites, or molecules that take part in metabolism, according to a rat model of the disease.

Adempas (riociguat), an approved therapy for adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), was well-tolerated in children and adolescents with PAH, with no new safety signals, according to data from PATENT-CHILD — the first pediatric trial of the therapy. The medication, used off-label for pediatric PAH patients with doses tailored…