News

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is planning a series of events for November, Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month, including a daylong focus on chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) that results from blood clots in the lungs. Events planned for CTEPH Awareness Day, Nov. 15, include promoting information about the two…

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have higher than usual blood levels of S1P, a molecule that promotes worsening disease, according to a study published in the journal Pulmonary Circulation. The researchers, working in a rat PAH model, also found that blocking this protein improved pulmonary arterial structure and cardiac function, suggesting…

Tyvaso (treprostinil sodium), a drug approved for enhancing exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), was reported in a recent study to be well tolerated and safe in routine clinical use. The study, “An observational study of inhaled-treprostinil respiratory-related safety in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension,” was published…

A specific gene known as CYP2C44, more active in women with pulmonary hypertension (PH) than in men, may be a key factor in protecting them from more severe forms of the disease, according to results of a study performed with animal models. More women are diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension…

Elsevier  announced that it is expanding its work with the American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST) to provide CHEST members with detailed and interactive eLearning programs that address their specialities, including pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Elsevier is a provider of scientific, technical and medical information products, and the…

Early treatment with Tracleer (bosentan) may delay the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in people with scleroderma, according to a study that compared patients who had never used this medicine with those taking it  for digital ulcers. If confirmed in other studies, the finding has the potential to radically change the prognosis for numerous…

Reata Pharmaceuticals has enrolled the first patient in its Phase 3 CATALYST trial (NCT02657356), exploring the potential benefits of bardoxolone methyl in people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) linked to connective tissue disease. The trial is continuing to recruit participants. The company also reported that data from the ongoing Phase 2 LARIAT…

Several factors may help predict the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), like older age and, for women, the drop in estrogen brought on by menopause, researchers report. Given that PAH is one of the main causes of mortality among SSc patients, their study raises…

Early pulmonary hypertension and long term infections in babies that are born prematurely increase their likelihood of developing severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), also known as chronic lung disease of infancy, according to a study published in the scientific journal Global Pediatric Health.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) severity is associated with alterations in the heart’s metabolism, but a recent study showed that Opsumit (macitentan) can reduce these metabolic changes, lessening PAH severity and easing strain on the heart’s right ventricle. The study, “Effects of an endothelin receptor antagonist, Macitentan, on right ventricular substrate utilization and function…

A case report of pulmonary hypertension in a patient with heterotaxy syndrome — a condition where organs in the chest or abdomen are in the wrong position — highlights the need for physicians to be aware of the serious consequences that increased lung blood pressure can have in this patient group.

Despite increased attention on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), information on treatments for those patients with rare conditions — Eisenmenger syndrome or PAH with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) — is lacking. Two physician-researchers who addressed this are advising these patients be followed in tertiary academic centers to increase their enrollment in clinical…