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Despite improved understanding of the etiology of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), the condition remains a severe and progressive disease, ultimately leading to right-sided cardiac failure. It continues to register significant morbidity and early mortality, with estimates showing that 1,000 Americans are diagnosed with PAH per year. Research and clinical advancements over…

A group of pulmonary medical specialists from the University of South Paris School of Medicine (USPSM) in France have conducted a robust review study that examines the increasing number of potential novel therapeutic drug targets for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).  The study team, led by…

A recent systematic review conducted by a research team from the University of Toronto in Canada sought to present the current state of agreement regarding the appropriate physical examination necessary for diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The review, entitled “Utility of the Physical Examination in Detecting Pulmonary…

Calorie restriction has been recently popular as a way to stave off the aging process. Could this technique be effective for improving a disease, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)? Researchers at Central Hospital in Xi’an China seem to think so. A recent report published in the J…

SteadyMed Ltd., an Israel-based pharmaceutical company developing and commercializing therapeutic candidates to address the limitations of top market products in treating orphan diseases, recently announced that it raised $12.2 million in equity financing to fund its PAH drug development efforts. The financing round was led by subsidiaries of Deerfield Management Company…

Tiny biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) may be floating around affected individuals’ bloodstreams. Matthew R. Lammi, MD, of Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans is heading a clinical trial to evaluate the presence of endothelial microparticles (EMPs) in SSc patients with…

Adding to the list of medical conditions that may result in pulmonary hypertension is the rare artery disease known as Takayasu arteritis. According to the Mayo Clinic, patients with Takayasu arteritis — which is grouped into a larger category of diseases that includes other types of…

Radiologists are essential for diagnosis and further testing of pediatric patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), according to a report published by researchers at the University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle. The paper, titled Multimodality Thoracic Imaging of Juvenile Systemic Sclerosis: Emphasis on Clinical Correlation and High-Resolution CT of Pulmonary Fibrosis,…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) has just announced a fresh set of accredited Pulmonary Hypertension Care Centers (PHCC) as part of a program aimed towards enhancing the nation’s overall quality of healthcare and pulmonary hypertension patient outcomes. These eleven newly-accredited PHCCs have brought the total number of PHA-accredited centers…

Systolic pulmonary artery pressure greater than 36 mm Hg reduced survival in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) according to an article entitled “Value of Systolic Pulmonary Arterial Pressure as a Prognostic Factor of Death in the Systemic Sclerosis EUSTAR Population,” published September 2014, in the journal Rheumatology.

According to a study conducted by a team of researchers at the Department of Anesthesia, Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, Canada, children with pulmonary hypertension are at high risk of serious complications and even death associated with anesthesia and surgery. The study titled “The Impact of…

A team of Researchers led by Antje Prasse from the Department of Pneumology, University Medical Centre in Freiburg, Germany identified that macrophage activation and other cellular events may be part of the cause of acute exacerbations in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a disease associated with high…