Pulmonary Hypertension News and Research

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Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition involving high blood pressure and structural changes in the walls of the pulmonary arteries, which are the blood vessels that connect the right side of the heart to the lungs. Affecting people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds - but most commonly found in young women of child-bearing years - the disease has historically been chronic and incurable, with a poor survival rate. PAH is often not diagnosed in a timely manner because its early symptoms can be confused with those of many other pulmonary and respiratory conditions. Symptoms include shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, dizziness, fainting, swollen ankles and legs and chest pain (especially during physical activity). With proper diagnosis, there are currently several therapies to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life for PAH patients. The key is to find a PAH specialist and pursue immediate treatment.

UAB receives NIH grants in three perinatal networks to improve maternal and infant health

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is the only university to be awarded grants in all three perinatal networks from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to improve maternal and infant health.

20 Jul 2016

European Commission approves extended indication for Amgen's Kyprolis (carfilzomib) for the treatment of relapsed multiple myeloma patients

Amgen has announced that the European Commission (EC) has approved a variation to the marketing authorization for Kyprolis® (carfilzomib) to include use in combination with dexamethasone alone for adult patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy. The extended indication marks the second approval for Kyprolis by the EC in less than a year.

6 Jul 2016

Circulating angiogenic factor shows PAH biomarker potential

Hepatoma-derived growth factor predicts disease severity and survival in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, showing some possible clinical advantages over N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, researchers report.

5 Jul 2016

New blood test could help predict severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension

Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers report that rising blood levels of a protein called hematoma derived growth factor (HDGF) are linked to the increasing severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension, a form of damaging high blood pressure in the lungs.

20 Jun 2016

Potential non-invasive screening biomarker for SSc-PAH

Serum asymmetric dimethylarginine may be an effective non-invasive screening biomarker for systemic sclerosis-related pulmonary arterial hypertension, study findings indicate.

16 Jun 2016

Long-term dasatinib findings support first-line use in CML

Final DASISION study findings confirm dasatinib to be an effective, long-term treatment for patients with a new diagnosis of chronic phase-chronic myeloid leukaemia.

15 Jun 2016

Right ventricular echocardiography predicts targeted therapy outcome in PAH

Echocardiography re-assessment of right ventricular function after targeted therapy is sufficient to predict subsequent prognosis in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, say researchers.

15 Jun 2016

Reduced RV functional reserve may explain poor SSc-PAH outcomes

Patients who develop pulmonary arterial hypertension as a consequence of systemic sclerosis have poorer right ventricular functional reserve than those with idiopathic disease, research published in Circulation shows.

9 Jun 2016

Researchers detect vascular matrix stiffening during early stages of pulmonary hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of pressure in the pulmonary circulation that results in stress on the heart and remodeling of blood vessels in the lung.

3 Jun 2016

Elevated endothelial progenitor cells may characterise PAH patients

Plasma levels of endothelial progenitor cells are elevated in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, say researchers.

7 May 2016

Pulmonary hypertension impacts walking ability in SSc patients

The results of a meta-analysis show the adverse impact pulmonary hypertension has on the walking stamina of patients with systemic sclerosis.

6 May 2016

More evidence for combination therapy benefits in PAH

Another meta-analysis adds to evidence of increased benefits for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension who are given combination therapy.

6 May 2016

Detailed digital models of human organs could bring substantial benefits to clinical trials

Computer simulations of disease processes and detailed digital models of our organs could provide more accurate monitoring and outcome measurements for clinical trials, according to research being presented in Sheffield today.

5 May 2016

Novel gene therapy can treat pulmonary hypertension linked with heart failure

Scientists have used a novel gene therapy to halt the progression of pulmonary hypertension, a form of high blood pressure in the lung blood vessels that is linked to heart failure, according to a study led by Roger J. Hajjar, MD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the Cardiovascular Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

30 Apr 2016

Hydrocortisone drug can also prevent lung damage in premature babies

Research from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago conducted in mice shows the drug hydrocortisone -- a steroid commonly used to treat a variety of inflammatory and allergic conditions -- can also prevent lung damage that often develops in premature babies treated with oxygen.

26 Apr 2016