Patricia Inácio, PhD, science writer —

Mutations in the BMPR2 gene alter the ratio of pro- and anti-death signals in cells lining the blood vessels, promoting cells destined to die to escape, which in turn culminates in a build-up of cells in blood vessels and their subsequent blockage, leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The factor mediating this resistance to…

People with polysplenia syndrome — a condition characterized by a “left-sidedness” on both sides of the body — have an increased risk for early development of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a Japanese study suggests. The study, titled “Polysplenia Syndrome as a Risk Factor for Early Progression of Pulmonary Hypertension,” was…

Estrogen, one of the major female sex hormones, has a protective effect in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) by halting oxidative stress and collagen deposition, a rat study suggests. The study, “Effect of estrogen on right ventricular remodeling of monocrotaline-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension in rats and its mechanism,” was…

High pulmonary pressure, cardiac medication use, and poor heart function are all risk factors for pulmonary hypertension (PH) in adults after a procedure to repair an atrial septal defect, a hole in the wall (septum) that divides the two upper chambers of the heart, a study reports. The study,…

Repeated measurements of different biomarkers over time offer a better risk prediction than single measurements for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with congenital heart disease, a study reports. The study, “Prognostic value of multiple repeated biomarkers in pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with congenital heart disease,” was published in…

Genetic variants close to the SOX17 and the HLA-DPB1 genes are linked to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to the findings of the largest genetic study to date in PAH patients. The study, “Genetic determinants of risk in pulmonary arterial hypertension: international genome-wide association studies and meta-analysis,” was published in the…

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients with an enlarged right side of the heart show higher pulmonary arterial pressures and increased resistance to blood flow compared to healthy controls, a new study reports. The study “Right heart size and function significantly correlate in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension – a…

The severity of pulmonary hypertension (PH) increases the risk of fetus death, although mortality among PH pregnant women is low, according to a Chinese review study. The study, “Pregnancy and pulmonary hypertension: An exploratory analysis of risk factors and outcomes” was published in the journal Medicine. Pregnancy induces…

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients who failed to respond to treatment with Revatio (sildenafil), either alone or combined with other phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, may benefit by switching to Adempas (riociguat), according to results of a pilot study. Adempas was also seen to ably help treatment-naive patients, using it as a first…

More pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients were able to achieve complete daily inhalations after switching to a more concentrated formulation of Ventavis (iloprost), which also reduced the duration of each treatment administration, an observational study reports. The study looked at the inhalation behavior of PAH patients who were switched from…

Intravenous treatment with the approved heart failure medicine milrinone leads to significant improvements in heart structure and function in patients with mild-to-moderate pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left heart disease, a study has found.” The report titled “Study on the clinical efficacy of specific phosphodiesterase inhibitor in patients…

An easy and simple tool called the incremental shuttle walk distance test, or ISWD, appears promising to identify early signs of pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a new study. The results showed that patients with early PH who don’t show major disease symptoms already have a significant decrease in…