News

Selexipag improved the condition of Japanese with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to a clinical trial. The United States and a number of other countries have approved the therapy, but Japan wanted a clinical trial specifically with Japanese patients before authorizing it. Selexipag is available in the U.S. under the brand…

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients who fail to respond completely to Adcirca (tadalafil) or Viagra (sildenafil) benefit from Letairis (ambrisentan) as an add-on therapy, according to a study. The research, “Clinical and hemodynamic improvements after adding ambrisentan to background PDE5i therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension exhibiting a…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada will be trying to persuade medical professionals to pay more attention to pulmonary hypertension (PH) as a possible cause of their patients’ respiratory-related symptoms. The association will start a campaign next month called Sometimes it’s PH to raise awareness practitioners’ awareness of PH. It chose…

Dr. C. Gregory Elliott has won the 2017 American Thoracic Society Public Advisory Roundtable William J. Martin, II Distinguished Achievement Award. This honor recognizes Elliott’s innovative leadership skills, history in public service and passion for his patients. Elliott, a pioneer member of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), has made important contributions in…

A form of pulmonary hypertension known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension may be under-diagnosed and under-treated, a review of research articles suggests. The study, “An epidemiological analysis of the burden of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension in the USA, Europe and Japan,” was published in the European…

A recent National Institutes of Health (NIH) study shows that moderate to vigorous exercise can help reduce hypertension in African-Americans. The observational study, “Physical Activity and Incident Hypertension in African Americans,” was conducted with participants enrolled in the Jackson Heart Study, a large, community-based analysis of cardiovascular disease in…

Researchers have shown that assessing vasculature structures by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can retrieve important information and has predictive potential for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients. In combination with clinical data, MRI can increase the accuracy of determining PAH severity and outcomes, and improve decisions regarding therapies. The finding, from researchers…

Adcirca (tadalafil) improved the pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) of 29 percent of patients in a real-world study in Japan, researchers said. They two-year study also found the treatment to be safe, with acceptable rates of side effects. A real-world study covers a patient group with a wider range of characteristics than…

The patch that delivers SteadyMed’s pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treatment Trevyent (treprostinil) to patients is effective, safe and tolerable, according to a company study. Treprostinil is a vasodilatory prostacyclin analogue, or synthetic version of prostacyclin, a substance that helps prevent arteries from constricting and blood platelets from clumping together. Prostacyclin is deficient in…

Massachusetts, which adopted the nation’s first pulmonary hypertension (PH) law in January, has named the first members of an expert task force dealing with PH patient care. The PH law, signed by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, requires the state to establish the task force to monitor and report on research, transplants, public awareness,…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is joining Periwinkle Hearts Around the World, an 80-organization international campaign to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients’ need for better access to care. Stiffness in the lung’s arteries and veins causes the high lung blood pressure that characterizes PH. Patients experience shortness of…

A Japanese study of nine families members who have heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (HPAH) found different mutations in the same gene, called BMPR2, four of which had been identified before and four newly identified. Researchers also found a new mutation in another gene, KCNK3, that caused HPAH in another family. The researchers believe…