Approximately 5,000 Americans are diagnosed with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) each year. The condition is a result of persistent obstruction of pulmonary blood vessels due to unresolved blood clots from previous episodes of acute pulmonary embolism. If patients do not receive treatment for CTEPH, they may develop…

Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of German-owned corporation, Bayer AG, has just announced that it has registered its therapeutic drug Riociguat for regulatory clearance in Japan. The drug has gone through intensive clinical research and development under Bayer, and is eyeing becoming the next novel treatment of two types of…

It was reported last month that the drug Sildenafil, popularly known as “Viagra,” an erectile dysfunction therapy for men, also revealed efficacy in treating those with pulmonary hypertension. However, for those with the disease who did not respond to sildenafil, a new, alliterative therapy may show promise, specifically for…

Despite more women being affected by pulmonary hypertension (PH), men with the cardiovascular disease had worse right ventricular function and lower odds of transplant-free survival relative to their female counterparts, a study found. In a large group of patients with various types of PH, sex differences in function of…

Blood levels of a protein called thrombospondin-2 (TSP2) — related to clinically identifiable measures of right heart structure and function — are consistently increased across patients with different types of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study in Germany suggests. According to the researchers, these data indicate “that plasma [blood] TSP2…

About 1 in 4 people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) have right ventricle (RV) energy failure — when one of the heart’s lower chambers fails to provide enough energy to push blood to the lungs — a Turkish study found. Researchers also observed that people with RV energy failure were…

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…

Treatment with the approved therapy Uptravi (selexipag) safely reduces disease severity and improves heart and lung health in people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), according to a review study. Researchers recommended that Uptravi be considered for use in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) or chronic thromboembolic…

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is common among people with pulmonary hypertension (PH), and PH patients with OSA are more likely to report co-occurring health problems like diabetes and high blood pressure, a new study done at a center in China reports. In fact, the study found that more than…

Adempas (riociguat), an approved therapy for adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), was well-tolerated in children and adolescents with PAH, with no new safety signals, according to data from PATENT-CHILD — the first pediatric trial of the therapy. The medication, used off-label for pediatric PAH patients with doses tailored…

Breathing oxygen-enriched air can significantly improve exercise performance in people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) linked to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), including those who might not use supplemental oxygen, according to a small clinical study. Better blood-oxygen levels and more efficient breathing (exchange of carbon dioxide and…

The likelihood of developing pulmonary hypertension (PH) is low among people in southern Italy, suggests a study that draws from a random and large grouping of individuals with echocardiograms, done to determine disease prevalence. Independent predictors of PH include female sex and right ventricular enlargement, its scientists noted. The study,…