Treatment with cannabidiol (CBD) for three weeks lowered signs of cardiac fibrosis, or scar tissue build-up, in a rat model of pulmonary hypertension (PH). The findings indicate that CBD may be beneficial for boosting heart function in PH patients via inhibition of certain pro-fibrotic signaling pathways, according to researchers,…

Treatment with levosimendan — a medication seen to improve cardiac function — was associated with rapid clinical benefits in preterm infants with heart problems and pulmonary hypertension (PH), a study in Germany reports. The response to treatment was independent of the babies’ birth weight and how far along…

Treatment with Opsumit (macitentan) can significantly improve the heart’s right ventricular function, reverse cardiac tissue remodeling, and reduce pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), preliminary results from a Phase 4 clinical trial show. The most recent data from the Phase 4 REPAIR trial (…

Worse measures of blood flow, arterial oxygenation, and cardiac function may underlie the poor clinical condition of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) patients who also have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), according to a new study. The research, “Obstructive sleep apnea in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary…

Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) and severe aortic stenosis (AS), who have a specific, less frequent blood flow pattern, have worse cardiac function and increased mortality, according to a study. The study, “Haemodynamic mechanisms and long‐term prognostic impact of pulmonary hypertension in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing valve…

Apelin, a peptide naturally produced in the body, reduces resistance in the pulmonary vascular system (blood vessels) and improves cardiac function in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), results from a clinical trial show. The therapy’s effects were even greater in patients also taking PAH medication, especially those on…

Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have higher than usual blood levels of S1P, a molecule that promotes worsening disease, according to a study published in the journal Pulmonary Circulation. The researchers, working in a rat PAH model, also found that blocking this protein improved pulmonary arterial structure and cardiac function, suggesting…