Learning and research

Pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) is the gold standard treatment for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). While balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) is an emerging treatment for distal CTEPH, a standard therapeutic strategy for CTEPH with unilateral central lesions has yet to be established. 

Renal impairment is considered a contra-indication for lung (LTX) or combined heart-lung (HLTX) transplantation due to increased mortality. We hypothesized that renal impairment in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is the result of reduced cardiac output and should be partly reversible after LTX. 

To analyze the clinical characteristics and potential pregnancy outcomes of deceased pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension, we conducted a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 54 cases of pregnant women with pulmonary hypertension at The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University from May 2009 to February 2022.

'Pulmonary Hypertension in the Shadow of Infections: Challenges in Indian Practice' is part of the Virtual Symposium Series by the iPVD, a global education programme that highlights top-notch research on inflammation and infectious PVD.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a common condition among women of childbearing age (WCBA) and is associated with adverse outcomes during pregnancy. However, there is currently a lack of studies that provide a detailed epidemiological characterization of this condition. This study aimed to delineate the global burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) among women of childbearing age (WCBA) from 1990 to 2021. 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently accompanied by abnormalities of the pulmonary vasculature. This vasculopathy spans the spectrum from mild vascular dysfunction to pulmonary hypertension, which on rare occasions can be severe. Given the worldwide prevalence of COPD, it is conceivable that the morbidity and mortality associated with pulmonary vascular dysfunction have been vastly underappreciated, especially in countries and regions where the infrastructure and resources to define the magnitude of the problem are often limited.

Pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients and identifying accompanying factors in clinical decisions are very important. The current study aimed to determine the relationship between phenotypic and echocardiographic findings with the help of pulmonary artery pressure in patients with COPD. In this study, 100 COPD patients referred to a specialized clinic participated in the study.

This exploratory analysis assessed whether plasma biomarkers predict the response to switching from phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) to the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Selected biomarkers at baseline and their changes to Week 24 were evaluated in patients with and without a favorable response to riociguat in two trials: RESPITE, in which patients with an inadequate response to PDE5i were switched to riociguat; and REPLACE, in which patients at intermediate risk of 1-year mortality despite a PDE5i were randomized to remain on PDE5i or were switched to riociguat.

In 1976, my wife and I moved to Salt Lake City to start my fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine. The University of Utah program had applied principles of physiology to the care of critically ill patients; and that interested me. As a critical care fellow, I learned to perform pulmonary artery catheterization and to interpret hemodynamic measurements in patients with adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).