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The use of a combination therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) “significantly” reduced the risk of clinical worsening compared to monotherapy in those responding to treatment, according to a recent meta-analysis published in the journal The Lancet, titled “Combination therapy versus monotherapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension:…

Researchers recently investigated the link between thyroid gland function and idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, finding subclinical hypothyroidism in almost half of patients observed. The study, “Assessment of Thyroid Function in Idiopathic Pulmonary Hypertension,” was published in the Research in Cardiovascular Medicine journal. Idiopathic pulmonary hypertension is a rare and ultimately fatal…

Eiger BioPharmaceuticals recently announced that its protease inhibitor ubenimex has been granted Orphan Medicinal Product designation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The company will soon begin a Phase 2 clinical trial testing ubenimex in this patient group. The EMA designation covers…

People with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) show an increased prevalence of sleep disordered breathing, a condition predicted by low cardiac index, according to the study “Usefulness of Low Cardiac Index to Predict Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension,” published in the American Journal…

Pulmonary rehabilitation has been shown to significantly improve the quality of life of those affected by lung diseases, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), or pulmonary hypertension (PH), a University of Kentucky news release reported. But what, exactly, is pulmonary rehabilitation? The American Association of…

Actelion has announced that its orally active pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) drug, Uptravi (selexipag), has been approved for the treatment of PAH patients by both the Therapeutic Goods Administration of Australia and the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority. The drug was recently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)…

Pulmonary hemodynamic response to exercise can predict the transplant-free survival chances of people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), according to researchers at the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, studying the mean pulmonary arterial pressure to cardiac output (mPAP/CO) relationship during exercise in these patients. The research, titled “Pressure-flow during…

The cardiac hormone known as atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) controls blood pressure both throughout the body and in the lungs. Researchers previously believed that ANP’s hypotensive effect in the lungs was mediated by changes in the smooth muscle that lines pulmonary blood vessels. But scientists now report that the hormone facilitates…

Women with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are often sedentary, and the lack of daily activity results in physical and mental feelings of low energy, according to a study published in the journal Chest. The study, “Physical Activity and Symptoms in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension,” suggested that interventions to improve…

Galectin-3 (Gal-3) and the hormone aldosterone are two potential biomarkers for disease progression in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, according to a recent study, “Galectin-3 and aldosterone as potential tandem biomarkers in pulmonary arterial hypertension,” published in the journal Heart. Aldosterone, a steroid hormone that is responsible…

In a new study, researchers at the University of Vermont developed a set of synthetic molecules that can successfully modulate the protein kinase 1alpha (PKG 1α), known to be involved in smooth muscle contraction. The protein is a potential therapeutic target for a range of conditions, including pulmonary hypertension.

SoniVie recently announced that it has completed the first two procedures in an initial clinical trial evaluating TIVUS system (Therapeutic Intra-Vascular Ultrasound) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). TIVUS is a therapeutic catheter inserted into the pulmonary artery to selectively damage nerves associated with PAH disease activity, without touching vessel walls…