News

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…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is organizing a series of events, called “PHA on the Road: PH Patients and Families Education Forum,” to give the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community a free, day-long platform through which to network with other patients, medical professionals, and PH experts. Two upcoming…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is urging the U.S. Senate to support the Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Diagnosis Act of 2016 (S. 3361), introduced this week by the Sen. Bob Casey and aiming to speed the development of new treatments and improve the care of people with pulmonary…

The use of nitrite salts for the treatment of cardiovascular conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension, is now patented by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The new patent (US 20060182815 A1) was awarded to Gordon G. Power with Loma Linda University, and a team of investigators from several other universities,…

Breathing exercises aimed at improving the respiratory system’s muscular strength and endurance can considerably benefit pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients and improve their overall life quality. Researchers in Greece in the article, “Benefits of inspiratory muscle training in patients with pulmonary hypertension: A pilot study,” published in the Hellenic Journal of Cardiology, reported…

Research into, and care of, patients with both congenital heart disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) need to be optimized so that advances in PAH management and care can also benefit these patients, two PAH experts argue. George Giannakoulas, MD, PhD, at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, and…

Sounds produced in the heart, reworked using a classification algorithm based on an automated speech recognition, were analyzed and seen to lead to more accurate diagnoses of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients than those done by physicians listening to the same heart recordings, according to the study,  “Acoustic diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension: automated…

A molecule called PHD2 in the cells lining blood vessels in the lungs protects mice from the blood vessel remodeling leading to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), as removal of the factor triggered numerous changes linked to the condition. The findings suggest that PHD2 is a factor that is downstream of…