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.

Novel drug for patients with inoperable CTEPH shows improvement in international trial

After a year of being treated with a novel drug, patients with inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and those with persistent or recurrent pulmonary hypertension after an operation for the disease showed sustained improvement in a multicenter, international trial presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society International Conference.

20 May 2014

Higher BMI linked with reduced mortality risk in patients with pulmonary hypertension

In patients with congestive heart failure, obesity and a larger waist size have paradoxically been associated with a better prognosis in the prior investigations. This effect, known as the obesity paradox phenomenon, is now being demonstrated in patients with severe pulmonary hypertension.

20 May 2014

Renal dysfunction affects NT-proBNP predictive thresholds in pulmonary hypertension

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide remains a valid predictor in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension who have concomitant renal dysfunction, say researchers.

19 May 2014

Patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease may benefit from PTE

Patients with chronic pulmonary thromboembolic disease may benefit from pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE), even if the patients don't have severe pulmonary hypertension, according to University of California, San Diego, researchers.

19 May 2014

PAH risk factors identified for systemic sclerosis patients

Researchers have identified clinical features that could help predict which patients with systemic sclerosis are likely to go on to develop pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and therefore benefit most from early treatment.

13 May 2014

Commonly used drug restores blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles of boys with muscular dystrophy

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have found that a commonly prescribed drug restores blood flow to oxygen-starved muscles of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic muscle-wasting disease that rarely is seen in girls but affects one in 3,500 male babies, profoundly shortening life expectancy. It is the most common fatal disease that affects children.

8 May 2014

Ambrisentan cleared for use with phenprocoumon

Starting treatment with ambrisentan does not necessitate adjusting the dose of the oral anticoagulant phenprocoumon in patients with pulmonary hypertension who require both medications, report researchers.

7 May 2014

Mortality after cardiac surgery: an interview with Dr. Bryan G. Maxwell, Johns Hopkins Medicine

The last decade has seen a strong movement towards the use of various quality measurements to grade medical care. In surgery, 30-day mortality is one of the most common benchmarks. We wanted to determine if patterns of postoperative mortality showed any signs that the process of measuring medical care might actually alter how (and when) care is provided or withdrawn.

6 May 2014

Bayer to purchase consumer care business of Merck & Co, signs co-development deal for sGC modulators

Bayer has agreed to acquire the consumer care business of U.S. pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA, for a purchase price of USD 14.2 billion (EUR 10.4 billion).

6 May 2014

New insight provides potential to improve treatment for sepsis

In a review published in the April issue of Immunity, Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president of The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, says it's time to take a fresh look at the medical community's approach to treating sepsis, which kills millions worldwide every year, including more than 200,000 Americans.

18 Apr 2014

Report describes cardiopulmonary arrest in infant following cyclopentolate eyedrops

Eyedrops administered to infants as part of routine outpatient retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening can have life-threatening consequences. A case report published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) describes cardiopulmonary arrest in a 27-week-old infant following administration of three sets of cyclopentolate 0.2%/phenylephrine 1% (Cyclomydril) eyedrops.

3 Apr 2014

Bayer’s Adempas now available in the UK to treat patients with CTEPH

Adempas (riociguat) is available in the UK today as the first drug treatment for CTEPH, to treat adult patients with WHO Functional Class (FC) II to III with inoperable or persistent disease to improve exercise capacity.

1 Apr 2014

SEATTLE II study confirms safety and efficacy of thrombolytic therapy for acute PE

EKOS Corporation, a BTG International group company, notes the presentation of the results of the SEATTLE II trial this afternoon at ACC.14, the 63rd Annual Scientific Session and Exposition of the American College of Cardiology in Washington, DC in the United States.

31 Mar 2014

ATS develops clinical practice guidelines to help clinicians identify, manage patients with sickle cell disease

The American Thoracic Society has developed clinical practice guidelines to help clinicians identify and manage patients with sickle cell disease who are at increased risk for mortality from pulmonary hypertension.

18 Mar 2014

Bayer HealthCare joins NORD to promote awareness of Rare Disease Day

Bayer HealthCare is joining the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and others in raising awareness of Rare Disease Day, which is being celebrated today around the world.

3 Mar 2014

Pre-capillary pulmonary hypertension common in severe heart failure

Pulmonary hypertension is common in patients with heart failure and is likely to include a pre-capillary component, research suggests.

6 Feb 2014

Professor wins Wiley Prize for discovering how cells sense, respond to low oxygen conditions

The 13th annual Wiley Prize in Biomedical Sciences was awarded to Gregg Semenza, M.D., Ph.D., for his contribution to discovering how cells sense and respond to low oxygen conditions.

5 Feb 2014

Researchers discover genetic mutations that cause deadly lung disease

A team of researchers, led by physicians and scientists at Intermountain Medical Center and ARUP Laboratories in Salt Lake City, has made a medical breakthrough by discovering genetic mutations that cause a rare and deadly lung disease.

4 Feb 2014

Chest radiography highly predictive of pulmonary hypertension

Chest radiography is very accurate for predicting pulmonary hypertension, report researchers.

3 Feb 2014

More standardised methods needed for extemporaneous preparation of paediatric medicines

More standardised methods are needed for the extemporaneous preparation of paediatric medicines, indicates a doctoral dissertation examined at the University of Eastern Finland. Hospital pharmacies modify adult medicines for children when there are no suitable paediatric medicines available. Medicines intended for adults can be modified for children into oral suspensions, oral powders or capsules the contents of which are emptied for use.

9 Jan 2014