Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

High blood levels of resistin, a hormone produced by fat cells, may help identify pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients at higher risk of clinical worsening, a large U.S. study suggests. Resistin levels also could separate people with idiopathic, or unknown cause, PAH (iPAH) or…

A natural substance isolated from a houseplant shows promise as a potential treatment to prevent and reverse pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study found. Treatment with FR900359 (FR) reversed the disease in a mouse model of PH, and relaxed pulmonary arteries of mice, pigs, and humans. FR activity was equivalent…

Reviva Pharmaceuticals has been granted a patent in Europe that covers using brilaroxazine, formerly RP5063, for pulmonary hypertension (PH). The patent covers patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and those who develop PH associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), an inflammatory lung disorder, or sickle…

Anumana‘s artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm shows promise for the early detection of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study suggested. The PH Early Detection Algorithm, which analyzes data collected from a routine electrocardiogram (ECG) heart test, was developed by scientists at Anumana, Janssen Research and Development, the Mayo Clinic,…

A new study identifies the presence of bacteria from the genus Eubacterium fissicatena, known for their pro-inflammatory properties, as a risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). While the findings suggest “specific intestinal bacteria” are biomarkers for pulmonary PAH, and show “compelling evidence” that connects gut imbalance, or dysbiosis,…

The physical activity component of the PAH-SYMPACT — a patient-reported measure of quality of life tailored for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) — is an independent predictor of the risk of death among PAH patients, according to a new study from Australia. One unit increase in this parameter…

Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) — a type of blood thinner medication — are as safe and effective as vitamin K antagonists (VKAs), the standard blood thinner used to treat chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), according to a meta-analysis of published studies. The findings support the use of DOACs as a…

Life support measures, specifically the need for assisted breathing, and elevated blood levels of bilirubin, a marker of liver damage, are among the factors that predict worse outcomes after a lung transplant in people with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), a study reports. A new predictive model that includes…

Tenax Therapeutics has been granted another U.S. patent for levosimendan, this one covering all three routes of administration and its active metabolites, for the treatment of people with PH-HFpEF, or pulmonary hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction. Issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the…

Elevated levels of two tumor biomarkers, AFP and CA125, were found to predict disease worsening in people with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) in a new study from China. “Changes in AFP over time serve as an indicator of disease alteration, enabling detection of disease progression or treatment response,”…

About 41% of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients in a multinational survey were initially misdiagnosed, seeing an average of 2.9 physicians before getting their correct diagnosis. The non-specific nature of their disease symptoms and a lack of awareness among patients and primary care physicians contribute to this delay,…

An algorithm based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning may help in diagnosing pulmonary hypertension (PH), a new study shows. Its findings are particularly important for people suspected of having PH but whose disease remains uncertain using echocardiography, a noninvasive imaging method to examine heart structure and function.