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Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is a frequently encountered complication of Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). PAH is also the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among SSc patients. Despite some progress in new detection methods, standard right heart catheterization still remains the most effective means of diagnosis of PAH with Systemic…

Scientists now believe that uric acid (UA) levels are a significant health consideration for PAH patients, as UA has been demonstrated to be elevated in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and heart failure.  Elevated UA levels have been linked with poor patient outcomes. According to recent research published…

Gregory Piazza, MD, clinical instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School, presented the results of a single-arm, multi center trial that tested the efficacy of the EkoSonic endovascular system. 150 patients, all with proximal pulmonary embolism (PE) and a dilated right ventricle (RV/VL ratio ≥0.9) were examined using ultrasound-delivered,…

When diagnosing and treating diseases and conditions such as Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, clear, accurate, and reliable imaging of the heart and surrounding tissues is essential for achieving the best outcomes for patients. A new imaging technology for PAH and other related indications is currently moving its way through testing, and…

A group of researchers led by Dr. Sophie Grigoriadis, MD, PhD, head of the women’s mood and anxiety clinic at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, Canada, and associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, performed a total of 7 meta-analyses based on available data resources, determining…

A novel dual endothelin receptor antagonist (ERA), Macitentan, (manufactured by Actelion pharmaceuticals) had been approved for use against Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) by the US FDA in October 2013. This came shortly after Actelion Pharma presented the results of its landmark clinical trial SERAPHIN (Study with Endothelin Receptor Antagonist…

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) involves progressive loss of lung function and ultimately fatal.  IPF  is characterized by scarring of lung tissue and is the cause of shortness of breath (dyspnea). The term “idiopathic”c means the disease has no known cause. The disease is known to cause permanent scarring of lung…

Several treatments have been developed for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) over the last two decades, with post-market studies reporting an improvement in the prognosis and progression of PAH with their use. However, reported survival rates have been unsatisfactory in western countries with respect current PAH therapies, while no reliable…

The Clark Fork Valley Hospital (CFVH) in Plains, MT has put forth an impressive, new model for treating lung-related diseases through the launch of its new Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in March, which seeks to serve patients with a wide range of diagnoses, including COPD, pulmonary hypertension, obesity-related lung disease, and sarcoidosis.

Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH) has been identified as one of the major causes of acute pulmonary hypertension (PH). This condition is characterized by a progressively dangerous accumulation of blood clots within pulmonary vasculature, which leads to PH and can eventually cause right-sided heart failure. It…

Hypoxia is the clinical manifestation of loss of oxygen supply in the body, leading to difficulty in breathing. Alveolar hypoxia can cause constriction of the distal pulmonary arterioles, which leads to increased arterial pressure and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This is a common condition among people living in high altitudes,…

Drug maker Actelion has indicated that the company’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) drug Bosentan, which is also known under the brand names of Actelion and Tracleer, recently failed a key FDA postmarket test. The test, which was part of the postmarket COMPASS 2 trial, revealed that Bosentan did not reduce time…