News

Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) and balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) — two treatment approaches for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) — significantly improved blood flow dynamics and functional capacity in patients given either procedure, a study from Norway reported. PEA was more effective at reducing pressure and resistance in the lungs’…

A peptide called apelin-17 may be used as a diagnostic biomarker for idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH), according to the results of a new study. Apelin-17 levels were found to detect IPAH with an accuracy similar to NT-proBNP and GDF-15 — two established biomarkers for pulmonary hypertension (PH)…

Note: The headline of this article was updated Feb. 27, 2023, to better reflect that Veletri is considered a safe and effective therapy at the approved and recommended dosing levels.  Treatment with Veletri (epoprostenol AS) infusion was generally well-tolerated and safe, but did not lead to clinical improvements for…

A new game-style app aims to help doctors and medical imaging technicians learn to better identify signs of pulmonary hypertension (PH) on an echocardiogram, an ultrasound image of the heart. Called EchoRight Pro and developed by Janssen, the free app is available from Apple’s App Store…

Sensydia has completed a development study to assess the effectiveness of its Cardiac Performance System (CPS) in identifying people at risk for pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure. CPS is a handheld, noninvasive device powered by artificial intelligence that uses heart sound analysis to detect PH. The device’s…

Children with pulmonary hypertension (PH) may experience a wide range of side effects from medications being used off label, and such reactions may differ from those affecting adults, a survey study found. “Further research is needed to better understand the clinical implications of these side effects,” the researchers wrote,…

Treatment with swietenine — extracted from the seeds of Swietenia macrophylla, a tree commonly called mahogany — eased the remodeling of lung blood vessels in a mouse model of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Researchers in China found that swietenine worked against this disease hallmark by inhibiting the growth of smooth muscle cells…

The experimental therapy levosimendan has been awarded a U.S. patent covering its use for pulmonary hypertension and heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (PH-HFpEF), according to developer Tenax Therapeutics. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued a notice of allowance to Tenax for a patent for…

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…

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,…

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…

Pregnant women with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (iPAH) had higher rates of mortality and pregnancy complications than those with other types of PAH or pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease (LHD-PH), according to a study in China. The prevalence of babies born with low birth weight was also…