News

Right Ventricular Volume Predicts Changes in Clinically-Stable PAH

Although right heart catheterization is an invasive procedure, it can detect changes in right ventricular volume that predict clinical worsening of pulmonary arterial hypertension. A study from the Department of Pulmonary Diseases at VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, “Signs of Right Ventricular Deterioration in…

Study Finds Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis Has the Worst Outcome in Patients with Diffuse Parenchymal Lung Diseases

A recent study entitled “Spectrum of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases with special reference to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and connective tissue disease: An eastern India experience,” published in the journal Lung India, compared the clinical spectrum of diffuse parenchymal lung diseases (DPLD) with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis…

Scleroderma-Related PH Treated with Bayer’s Ventavis in Clinical Trial

Bayer is sponsoring a long-term observational clinical trial involving patients with pulmonary hypertension or pulmonary arterial hypertension due to scleroderma. The aim of the study is to determine the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of inhaled Ventavis (iloprost, also known as BAYQ6256) in 160 patients with either idiopathic or familial…

New Clinical Trial Tests Ambrisentan in Preventing SSc-PAH

Treating patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who have borderline pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is vital to patient health, as life expectancy after a diagnosis of SSc-PAH is only one year. Accordingly, Heidelberg University, along with GlaxoSmithKline, initiated a clinical trial to investigate “Early Treatment…

Two Signaling Pathways Implicated in SSc-PAH

Clinicians, scientists, and researchers have acknowledged an association between systemic sclerosis (SSc) and pulmonary arterial hypertension, and have even created the disease category “SSc-PAH,” or SSc-related PAH. This category of PAH is remarkably similar to heritable PAH, yet the basis for the similarity has remained unknown. In an effort…

Eight Parameters Recommended to Monitor for PH in JSSc Patients

When young patients develop juvenile systemic sclerosis (JSSc), it is vital to monitor them for changes in cardiopulmonary parameters that may lead to conditions such as pulmonary hypertension. However, there are no current guidelines that describe which cardiopulmonary parameters are most vital to monitor in order to screen for diseases…