News

Genetic Defects Found To Potentially Lead to PAH, Endothelium Injury

When exploring the origins of pulmonary arterial hypertension, researchers regard injuries to the endothelium of blood vessels as an important factor leading to the development of the disease, as remodeling in the pulmonary vessels can lead to increased pressure and resistance in the arteries. In order to address endothelium injury and create new…

Nine New Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers Accredited By PHA

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) recently announced the accreditation of nine new institutions as established Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC). The granting of this status recognizes excellency and specialization in the treatment of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and the addition of nine more PHCC expands the…

Experimental PH Therapies Now Focusing on Treating Pathological Pulmonary Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells

As more scientific studies are conducted to understand pulmonary hypertension, it is becoming more apparent that pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) are important to the pathology of pulmonary hypertension. A group of researchers at the Pittsburgh Heart, Lung, Blood, and Vascular Medicine Institute recently reported on the advances in therapies…

Exercise May Postpone Right Heart Failure In PAH Patients

Researchers in Brazil and the United Kingdom have identified another reason to get up and get moving. In the report titled “Voluntary Exercise Delays Heart Failure Onset in Rats with Pulmonary Artery Hypertension,” published in the American Journal of Physiology Heart and Circulatory Physiology, a…

Risk of Pulmonary Hypertension in Babies of Mothers Using Antidepressants at the End of Pregnancy is Low

A previous study identified an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) in mothers taking the most prescribed class of antidepressant medications in the second half of pregnancy, known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). As a result, in 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a public health advisory on a…

500th Lung Transplant Performed at UT Southwestern Medical Center

UT Southwestern Medical Center recently announced that it has performed its 500th lung transplant, placing it in an exclusive group that includes fewer than 25 American medical institutions. Lung transplantation is often the only option for patients who suffer from life-threatening conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension (PH) or cystic…

Researchers Identify Protein That Could Help Further Explore Metabolic and Inflammatory Theories Behind PAH Development

Two theories behind the pathogenesis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) converge on the protein known as the master transcription factor forkhead box O1 (FoxO1). Leaders in the field of PAH research are excited about the notion that addressing master transcription factors may integrate the metabolic and inflammatory theories behind PAH,…