News

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have low levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) – or “bad cholesterol” – which is associated with an increased mortality risk, according to a new study. PAH treatment may increase LDL-C levels. The study, “Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol And Survival In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,”…

The medication Adempas (riociguat) effectively improves several hemodynamic parameters in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to the Phase 3 PATENT-1 clinical trial. Results showed that the drug improved these parameters — which included pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), right atrial pressure (RAP) and cardiac index — not only in PAH…

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is reviewing the safety of Uptravi (selexipag) after the deaths of five patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who took the medicine in France. The European Union approved Uptravi for the treatment of PAH in May 2016. The EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee (PRAC) will re-examine all…

Terrence Jenkins, second-year celebrity ambassador of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), will appear in a print and digital public service ad campaign throughout 2017 to raise awareness about pulmonary hypertension (PH). Jenkins, better known as “Terrence J,” knows firsthand some of the frustrations of battling a rare disease like…

Training with an oscillatory whole-body vibration (WBV) device may improve the exercise capacity, physical performance and quality of life of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), according to results of a new trial. The findings were published in an article titled “Oscillatory Whole-Body Vibration Improves Exercise Capacity And Physical Performance…

Dave Merryman, a researcher at Tennessee’s Vanderbilt University, has received $6 million to develop new treatments for pulmonary hypertension and other heart diseases. His research focuses on drugs initially intended to treat rheumatoid arthritis, and knowledge from failures of weight-loss drugs. Merryman, an associate professor of biomedical engineering, is currently developing treatments for heart…

A cohort study with Chinese patients identified systemic sclerosis (SSc) as the key underlying disease that significantly worsens the clinical outcomes of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The study “Clinical characteristics and survival of pulmonary arterial hypertension associated with three major connective tissue diseases: A cohort study in…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) will present two abstracts with data from the PHA registry, which collects information on pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients diagnosed and evaluated at PHA-accredited centers with the goal of improving their care. The presentations will be given at the American Thoracic Society meeting set for May.