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People newly diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in Portugal have survival rates similar to those in other developed countries — and much better than the life expectancy of PAH patients some 30 years ago, a new study found. Moreover, those patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) — whose outcomes are generally poor —…

Paris-based biotechnology company Mifcare is getting support from the French pulmonary hypertension patients’ association HTaPFrance for the development of new anti-inflammatory therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Melanie Gallant-Dewavrin, director of HTaPFrance, said promoting research to fight PAH is one of her association’s goals, “which is why I do not hesitate to…

A majority of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have abnormalities in the lower left chamber of the heart, or left ventricle (LV), according to a new study. These patients tend to be older and to have higher blood pressure in the arteries supplying the lungs when the heart muscle…

Eliminating a long noncoding RNA reduced heart-muscle enlargement in mice with pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a study. The RNA, known as MALAT1, balances the turnover — or production, growth and death — of smooth muscle cells lining blood vessels. MALAT1 stands for metastasis-associated lung adenocarcinoma transcript 1. The study, “…

A small group of stem cells may help repair the lungs of those with pulmonary hypertension (PH), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and other lung conditions, according to a study. The body may recruit very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) from bone marrow to the bloodstream so they can reach areas…

A recent article that presented case studies of three patients with rheumatoid arthritis-associated pulmonary hypertension (PH), highlights the diversity of the underlying causes of the disease, and emphasizes the importance of diagnosing it early. The study “Rheumatoid arthritis associated pulmonary hypertension: Clinical challenges reflecting the diversity of pathophysiology”…

Screening patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may help identify patients with both conditions sooner to start appropriate treatments, ensuring a better outcome, according to new research. The study, “Epidemiology And Disease Characteristics Of Systemic Sclerosis-Related Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Results From A Real-Life Screening Programme,” was published in…

Northwestern Medicine’s Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program has won accreditation as a Comprehensive Care Center by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), in recognition of its excellence in diagnosis, research and clinical care of PH patients. To earn the accreditation, the program, which is led by Stuart Rich,…

Treatment with aloperine, a traditional Eastern herbal medicine, reduces markers of oxidative stress and improves heart parameters in a pulmonary hypertension (PH) animal model. The results were reported in a study titled “Protective effects of aloperine on monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertension in rats,” published in the journal Biomedicine &…

Vasopressor medications can trigger pulmonary hypertension by increasing blood volume rather than constricting blood vessels in the lungs, according to a study. This insight may improve the management of patients treated with vasopressors, particularly those who also have heart disease, researchers said. Vasopressors are used to treat extremely low blood…

Letairis (ambrisentan) was the most efficient, robust therapeutic among endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs) to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a study that compared the drug to three other therapies: Thelin (sitaxsentan), Tracleer (bosentan) and Opsumit (macitentan). The study, “Comparative efficacy and acceptability of endothelin receptor antagonists for…

High levels of a protein called galectin-3 are associated with pulmonary hypertension deaths, according to a study that says targeting the protein could be a way to develop treatments for PH. In fact, the higher the level of the protein, the higher the death rate, the research showed. The study,…