Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension News and Research

RSS

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.

New pulmonary medicine list includes five recommendations to improve patient care and outcomes

A list released today identified five commonly performed tests and procedures in pulmonary medicine that may not always be necessary. The list, part of the ABIM Foundation’s Choosing Wisely campaign, was produced by a collaborative task force assembled by the American Thoracic Society and the American College of Chest Physicians.

30 Oct 2013

Opsumit drug receives FDA approval to treat adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Opsumit (macitentan), a new drug to treat adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a chronic, progressive and debilitating disease that can lead to death or the need for lung transplantation.

19 Oct 2013

Adempas drug gets FDA approval for treatment of pulmonary hypertension

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Adempas (riociguat) to treat adults with two forms of pulmonary hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension is caused by abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs.

10 Oct 2013

Bayer HealthCare receives FDA approval for Adempas tablets

Bayer HealthCare announced today that the United States Food and Drug Administration has approved Adempas (riociguat) tablets for: (i) the treatment of adults with persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (WHO Group 4) after surgical treatment or inoperable CTEPH to improve exercise capacity and WHO functional class; and (ii) the treatment of adults with pulmonary arterial hypertension (WHO Group 1) to improve exercise capacity, improve WHO functional class and delay clinical worsening.

9 Oct 2013

New classification criteria for systemic sclerosis published in ACR journal

New classification criteria for systemic sclerosis have just been published and are more sensitive than the 1980 criteria, enabling earlier identification and treatment of this disabling autoimmune disease.

3 Oct 2013

PGI2 analogs, PDE5 inhibitors stimulate enhanced release of vasodilator ATP from human RBCs

Researchers at Saint Louis University School of Medicine have discovered a novel interaction between prostacyclin analogs and phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors, two groups of drugs used in the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

21 Sep 2013

Inhalable gene therapy may restore function of crucial enzyme to reverse deadly PAH

The deadly condition known as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), which afflicts up to 150,000 Americans each year, may be reversible by using an inhalable gene therapy, report an international team of researchers led by investigators at the Cardiovascular Research Center at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

31 Jul 2013

Scientists identify new genetic mutations that can cause pulmonary arterial hypertension

Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) scientists have identified new genetic mutations that can cause pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a rare fatal disease characterized by high blood pressure in the lungs.

25 Jul 2013

Progress made in understanding Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

The next step has been made into isolating the origin of cells linked to the progressive disorder Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

17 Jul 2013

Nutritional supplement may improve survival rates of babies born with heart defects

A common nutritional supplement may be part of the magic in improving the survival rates of babies born with heart defects, researchers report. Carnitine, a compound that helps transport fat inside the cell powerhouse where it can be used for energy production, is currently used for purposes ranging from weight loss to chest pain.

10 May 2013

ECMO can be used on neonates with severe respiratory failure until lung transplantation, say scientists

Adults with end-stage respiratory failure and pulmonary hypertension requiring ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) have been "bridged" toward lung transplantation with novel lung assist devices such as the Novalung.

7 May 2013

Unavoidable damage to heart and lungs can be limited by using CVD drug

Unavoidable damage caused to the heart and lungs by radiotherapy treatment of tumours in the chest region can be limited by the administration of an ACE inhibitor, a drug commonly used in the treatment of cardiovascular disease, a group of Dutch researchers have found.

23 Apr 2013

FDA grants priority review for Bayer HealthCare's riociguat for treatment of CTEPH

Bayer HealthCare announced today that the New Drug Application for its oral investigational compound riociguat has been accepted for filing and granted priority review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension or with persistent or recurrent CTEPH after pulmonary endarterectomy and pulmonary arterial hypertension.

8 Apr 2013

RELAX study finds no beneficial effects of erectile dysfunction drug for diastolic heart failure

Despite high expectations for a commonly used erectile dysfunction drug to treat patients with diastolic heart failure, no beneficial effects were found in a study presented today at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session.

13 Mar 2013

$Sildenafil does not improve exercise capacity in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction$

Sildenafil does not improve exercise capacity in HF patients with preserved ejection fraction

Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (a measure of heart function), administration of sildenafil for 24 weeks, compared with placebo, did not result in significant improvement in exercise capacity or clinical status, according to a study published online by JAMA.

12 Mar 2013

FDA acknowledges United Therapeutics’ oral treprostinil NDA to treat PAH

United Therapeutics Corporation announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged the resubmission of the new drug application (NDA) for treprostinil diolamine extended release tablets (oral treprostinil) for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

14 Feb 2013

LASAG trial for severe influenza initiated

...

12 Feb 2013

Medications often prescribed for PAH could affect heart health of treated patients

A research team with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta reported findings that significantly improve understanding of how widely used drugs in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) affect the heart health of treated patients.

18 Jan 2013

Monitor white blood cell count in pertussis infants

Researchers say that taking early and repeat white blood cell counts could help determine which children with pertussis are at highest risk for death.

14 Jan 2013

Taking early and repeated WBC is critical in determining infants at high risk of pertussis

A study released today from the upcoming issue of the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (JPIDS) found that taking early and repeated white blood cell counts (WBC) is critical in determining whether infants have pertussis and which of those children are at highest risk of death from the disease.

11 Jan 2013