News

People with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and their physicians hardly ever agree on the severity of symptoms, a study in the U.S., Europe and Japan reveals. Symptom discordance was more likely when PAH was more severe and was associated with worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL). “Physicians consistently under-recognized the…

Using in-depth analyses and machine learning, scientists have identified several molecules and genes involved in metabolism that may be diagnostic markers of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Specifically, their research found five small molecules, or metabolites, and three metabolism-related genes that are tied to a PAH diagnosis. All were “identified…

An oxygen-sensing protein called hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha, or HIF-1alpha, may contribute to worsening pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and is a possible therapeutic target for people with this rare type of pulmonary hypertension, a study by Chinese scientists found. According to the researchers, HIF-1alpha may worsen PAH by increasing the uptake…

Lung tissue and cells from the blood vessels that pass through the lungs derived from people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) produced fewer vitamin D receptors (VDRs) than normal, a study shows. Treating PAH patient-derived blood vessel cells with calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, reduced VDR deficiency…

Blood levels of angiopoietin-2, a marker of blood vessel damage, may help predict treatment response and outcomes in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a new study from researchers in the U.S. Levels of D-dimer, a marker of blood clot formation, were also increased in PAH patients, the study…

Elevated blood levels of an inflammatory biomarker called the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) were associated with a higher risk of death among people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) related to chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a recent report. “NLR, which is a convenient and inexpensive parameter, may be a novel…

Indicators of high blood sugar levels, particularly stress hyperglycemia ratio (SHR), may predict clinical worsening in people with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension, a study in China indicates. Clinical worsening was defined as the first occurrence of lung transplant, being rehospitalized due to heart failure, or death from any cause.

LungFit PH, Beyond Air’s device for administering nitric oxide therapy, has received European CE mark approval for persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborns (PPHN). This approval allows the company to market the device in the European Union and all other countries that recognize this certification, and also extends its…

Winrevair (sotatercept-csrk) significantly reduced the risk of all-cause death, a lung transplant, or hospitalization among adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) at a high risk of dying enrolled in a Phase 3 clinical trial. These top-line findings in the ongoing ZENITH trial (NCT04896008), testing the Merck…

Sildenafil is generally more effective than bosentan at controlling blood pressure and reducing the need for supplemental oxygen in infants with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a study shows. The study, “Oral sildenafil versus bosentan for treatment of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn:…

High levels of a small RNA molecule in the blood may be a marker of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in people with congenital heart diseases, a new study reveals. The study, “Expression and Diagnostic Value of miR-3591-5p in Patients with Congenital Heart Disease-Associated Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,”…

Platelets, or cell fragments in blood that help stop or prevent bleeding, tend to cluster in lung blood vessels of people with decompensated pulmonary hypertension (PH), a lung disease characterized by sudden worsening of clinical signs of right heart failure, followed by other severe complications, a study has found.