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.

New treatment algorithm for pulmonary arterial hypertension launched in 2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines

A novel treatment algorithm for pulmonary arterial hypertension is launched today in new pulmonary hypertension guidelines from the European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society.

29 Aug 2015

Brain scans may help predict patients' response to antipsychotic drug treatment

Investigators at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research have discovered that brain scans can be used to predict patients' response to antipsychotic drug treatment. The findings are published online in the latest issue of The American Journal of Psychiatry.

28 Aug 2015

Optimal aerobic exercise training may benefit patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension

A physical therapy researcher with the IU School of Health and Rehabilitation Services at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis has been awarded a $465,000 National Institutes of Health grant to optimize aerobic exercise training for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, a goal data suggests could reduce morbidity and mortality among those with the disease.

26 Aug 2015

ESC Congress to highlight results from global trials in six press conferences

Members of the press will be the first to hear the highly anticipated results from global trials in six press conferences devoted to hot lines research.

13 Aug 2015

Johns Hopkins study finds substantial increase in rate, costs of hospitalizations for pediatric pulmonary hypertension

A review of 15 years’ worth of data in a national pediatric medical database has documented a substantial increase in the rate of hospitalizations for children with a form of high blood pressure once most common in those with congenital heart disease.

13 Aug 2015

Delaying surgery until clinical triggers emerge leads to increased mortality in patients with mitral regurgitation

Patients with mitral regurgitation face a dilemma of whether to undergo corrective surgery early, when they might have no or few symptoms, or wait until their condition worsens. Current guidelines allow for watchful waiting until certain symptoms appear that would then "trigger" the decision to proceed with surgery.

12 Aug 2015

Vascular side effects prevent first-line ponatinib use in chronic phase CML

Ponatinib is highly active when given to patients within 6 months of developing chronic phase chronic myeloid leukaemia, phase II results show, but its toxicity profile is unacceptable for first-line treatment.

7 Aug 2015

Autoantibody status fails to predict death risk in systemic sclerosis with PAH

Anticentromere and isolated nucleolar autoantibodies are prevalent in systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, but they do not predict survival, US research shows.

5 Aug 2015

UT Southwestern's Pulmonary Hypertension Program continues to grow in the U.S.

When Derrik Neal began having trouble breathing, he initially assumed it was because he was overweight. But after blacking out several times, he learned he had idiopathic pulmonary hypertension. Survival rates at the time he was diagnosed were five years or less - three or less if undetected.

30 Jul 2015

Amgen announces submission of supplemental New Drug Application to FDA for Kyprolis (carfilzomib)

Amgen today announced the submission of a supplemental New Drug Application (sNDA) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Kyprolis (carfilzomib) for Injection to seek an expanded indication for the treatment of patients with a form of blood cancer, relapsed multiple myeloma, who have received at least one prior therapy.

23 Jul 2015

Genetic mutation associated with severe loss of body fat, appearance of premature aging in children identified

Researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute have identified a genetic mutation associated with the appearance of premature aging and severe loss of body fat in children.

17 Jul 2015

Stress Doppler echocardiography ‘reliable’ for early PAH detection in systemic sclerosis

Researchers recommend performing echocardiography at rest and during exercise to screen for pulmonary arterial hypertension in patients with systemic sclerosis.

15 Jul 2015

New portable system can produce life-saving NO from air by means of electrical spark

Treatment with inhaled nitric oxide (NO) has proven to be life saving in newborns, children and adults with several dangerous conditions, but the availability of the treatment has been limited by the size, weight and complexity of equipment needed to administer the gas and the therapy's high price.

7 Jul 2015

Clinical data demonstrates safe administration of Pexa-Vec in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer

SillaJen, Inc., a private clinical-stage biotherapeutics company focused on the development of oncolytic immunotherapy products for cancer, today announced a publication of data demonstrating that in a Phase Ib trial of Pexa-Vec, patients received multiple bi-weekly doses of its lead product Pexa-Vec, representing the first report of multiple intravenous administrations of an oncolytic vaccinia.

29 Jun 2015

University of Pittsburgh surgeon receives Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine

The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and Molecular Medicine announced today that the fourth Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine will be conferred to Thomas E. Starzl, MD, PhD, professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The award is in recognition of his research in organ transplantation and alloengraftment mechanisms.

26 Jun 2015

Study examines mental health prognosis of young VTE patients

EuroHeartCare is the official annual meeting of the Council on Cardiovascular Nursing and Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology. The 2015 meeting is held 14 to 15 June in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in collaboration with the Croatian Association of Cardiology Nurses.

15 Jun 2015

Triciribine drug may reverse progression of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension

Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that the drug triciribine may reverse or halt the progression of pulmonary fibrosis and pulmonary hypertension, two respiratory diseases that are almost invariably fatal.

13 Jun 2015

Use of antidepressants in late pregnancy may be associated with increased risk of PPHN

An analysis of approximately 3.8 million pregnancies finds that use of antidepressants late in pregnancy may be associated with an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), according to a study in the June 2 issue of JAMA. However, the absolute risk was small and the risk increase appears more modest than suggested in previous studies.

3 Jun 2015

Researchers explore association between SSRI exposure in late pregnancy and risk of PPHN

Use of antidepressants late in pregnancy has been controversial since the FDA issued a Public Health Advisory in 2006 warning that the use of antidepressants in late pregnancy may increase risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN), a condition that typically occurs in term or near-term infants and presents within hours of birth with severe respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation.

2 Jun 2015

$Amgen starts Phase 3 study assessing the benefit of Kyprolis in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma$

Amgen starts Phase 3 study assessing the benefit of Kyprolis in patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

Amgen today announced the initiation of the ARROW trial, a global Phase 3 study evaluating the benefit of Kyprolis® (carfilzomib) for Injection administered once-weekly with dexamethasone versus the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved twice-weekly administration schedule in patients with relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma who have received prior treatment with bortezomib and an immunomodulatory agent (IMiD).

1 Jun 2015