News

A receptor protein at the surface of lung vascular progenitor cells regulates the cells’ growth and maturation into smooth muscle cells, contributing to the vascular remodeling that characterizes pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a study shows. Suppressing this protein — called platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFR-alpha) — prevents these progenitor…

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has updated its State Report Card to make it more digitally friendly and added telehealth to its categories of rare disease policy issues in a nod to its increased use during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. NORD’s report card project began seven…

Breathing problems are more common in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction who also have pulmonary hypertension (PH) than in those who do not have PH, a study reported. Patients with PH also had poorer lung function and long-term survival than those without PH. However, while spirometry…

Tyvaso DPI, an investigational dry powder formulation of the vasodilator treprostinil, was equally safe and effective, and more convenient than the approved Tyvaso (inhaled treprostinil) nebulizer for people with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), final results of the BREEZE study show. These findings may facilitate Tyvaso DPI’s use earlier in…

A first patient in the U.S. has been dosed in a Phase 2b trial testing Respira Therapeutics‘ inhaled medicine-device combination product, called RT234, as a therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The trial (NCT04266197), dubbed VIPAH-PRN, for Vardenafil Inhaled for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension – PRN, will test…

A four-week self-help intervention program — based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), a type of talk therapy — significantly reduced anxiety and depression among people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to data from a small U.K. pilot study. “We developed a self-help intervention for anxiety in PH, which…

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is accepting nominations for its Outstanding Member Awards, which recognize individuals who show dedication to the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community. People with PH, their caregivers, friends, and doctors are invited to nominate “outstanding” PHA members for their “volunteer efforts in patient/caregiver support, advocacy,…

People with pulmonary arterial hypertension of unknown cause, or idiopathic disease, who are older, male, or of low socioeconomic status are at higher risk of death, according to a study from Korea. Researchers also found an overall survival rate of more than 50% among newly diagnosed patients. The study,…

Markers of a type of blood cell called a platelet — the blood cells involved in blood clotting after injury — were associated with disease severity and heart dysfunction in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and congenital heart disease (CHD), according to a recent study These findings show…

A new company spin-out from the University of Bath, in the U.K., is developing machine learning technologies that aim to improve the accuracy of a pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnosis by analyzing routinely acquired images of the lungs. “Using our machine learning based software we can bring the expertise of…

Healthcare providers involved in diagnosing and treating rare diseases believe that increased physician education and collaboration with specialized facilities will have the greatest positive impact on treating these conditions over the next five years, according to results from a 2021 survey. Definitive Healthcare, a healthcare commercial intelligence company, conducted…

Higher blood levels of hepatoma-derived growth factor (HDGF), involved in blood vessel remodeling, associated with greater disease severity and mortality risk in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients in a large biobank study. Based on additional work in a rat model, its researchers suggested these outcomes were due to the factor’s…