News

PAH Places Great Burden on Patients, Healthcare in Sweden

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is associated with high utilization of healthcare resources by patients and with productivity loss, starting years before diagnosis, according to a study in Sweden. “The economic and clinical burden associated with PAH suggests that strategies for earlier diagnosis and more effective treatments are warranted,” researchers…

Potential Treatments for PAH Patients With COVID-19 Identified

Dozens of medicines with the potential to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients ill with COVID-19 were identified through computer analyses of the biological processes shared by both conditions, a pilot study reported. Disease-related features common to COVID-19 and PAH included inflammation, fibrosis (tissue scarring), hypoxia (low oxygen), immune responses,…

Computer Finds Common Biomarkers for PAH, Metabolic Syndrome

Genes associated with both pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and metabolic syndrome have been identified using computer software tools, a study reports. Metabolic syndrome, thought to promote PAH, is a cluster of conditions marked by high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol…

Enrollment Complete for Phase 3 Trial Testing INOpulse for PH

Enrollment is now complete in REBUILD, a Phase 3 clinical trial evaluating INOpulse, an investigational treatment for people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) who are at risk of developing pulmonary hypertension (PH). According to the therapy’s developer, Bellerophon Therapeutics, the trial’s enrollment was completed earlier than expected. As…

PDE5 Inhibitors Improve Blood Flow, Exercise Capacity in PH: Analysis

Treatment with phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors can improve blood flow parameters and exercise capacity in people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a new analysis of clinical trial data. “The study found that the reduction in mean PAP [peripheral arterial pressure] was significantly greater in patients receiving PDE5 inhibitors,” the…

CTEPH Underdiagnosed After Pulmonary Embolism: Study

The incidence of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) after an episode of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is likely underestimated, a study suggests. This occurs despite the high frequency of symptoms consistent with CTEPH, underscoring that an appropriate diagnostic work-up of CTEPH is rarely undertaken. The study, “CTEPH: a…

Gut Metabolite TMAO Linked to Worse Prognosis

People with pulmonary hypertension (PH) who had elevated blood levels of the trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) molecule were at a five times greater risk of a poor prognosis than patients who didn’t have high levels, according to a recent study. High levels of this gut-derived metabolite were generally linked to…