Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Riociguat treatment administered at steady state (2.5 mg, three times a day) to women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) did not alter the effectiveness of oral contraceptives or make their use unsafe, researchers reported. The study, “Pharmacokinetic interaction study between riociguat and the combined oral contraceptives levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiol in…

A microRNA, called miR-214, promotes excessive cellular proliferation in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), and decreasing its expression may significantly impair phenotype changes in the lung vasculature in PAH, researcher report.The study, “MEF2C-MYOCD and Leiomodin1 Suppression by miRNA-214 Promotes Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Switching in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” was published…

Monotherapy given to patients with congenital heart defects associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension, or PAH-CHD, improved their exercise capacity more than a combined therapy, researchers report. The study, “Effect of dual pulmonary vasodilator therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease: a retrospective analysis,” was published in the journal Open…

Researchers recently investigated the link between thyroid gland function and idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, finding subclinical hypothyroidism in almost half of patients observed. The study, “Assessment of Thyroid Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension,” was published in the Research in Cardiovascular Medicine journal. Idiopathic pulmonary hypertension is a rare and ultimately fatal…

People with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) show an increased prevalence of sleep disordered breathing, a condition predicted by low cardiac index, according to the study “Usefulness of Low Cardiac Index to Predict Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension,” published in the American Journal…

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and the hormone aldosterone are two potential biomarkers for disease progression in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, according to a recent study, “Galectin-3 and aldosterone as potential tandem biomarkers in pulmonary arterial hypertension,” published in the journal Heart. Aldosterone, a steroid hormone that is responsible…

Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) have a higher risk of complications when they undergo conventional cardiac surgery, but a new study reports that if they undergo minimally invasive valve surgery, patients with PH can have a reduced risk of complications along with a decreased recovery period and less time spent in…

In a large study investigating the impact of sex in systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SSc-PAH), a team of researchers analyzed a cohort of Canadian patients and found that the male gender is associated with shorter PAH disease duration and increased burden of SSc disease, although it does not independently impact SSc-PAH survival.

People with connective tissue disease (CTD) and systemic sclerosis-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who are positive for anti-U1 RNP antibodies have better chances of longer-term survival. The study, “Characteristics and Survival of Anti–U1 RNP Antibody–Positive Patients With Connective Tissue Disease–Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” was published in the journal…

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) carrying mutations in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor type II (BMPR2) gene have a worse prognosis, namely decreased survival rates and higher risk for lung transplantation. The findings were in a study titled “BMPR2 mutations and survival in pulmonary arterial hypertension: an…

In a new study entitled “Endothelial NO-Synthase Gene-Enhanced Progenitor Cell Therapy for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: The PHACeT Trial,” researchers performed the first human trial to investigate the therapeutic potential of endothelial progenitor cells in repairing the damaged vessels in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients who have failed to…

In a new study entitled “Signaling pathways underlying skeletal muscle wasting in experimental pulmonary arterial hypertension,” researchers investigated the potential mechanisms underlying patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension characteristic skeletal muscle abnormalities. The researchers identified that muscle loss is prompted by accumulation of dysfunctional mitochondrias and ineffective removal of damaged…