News

PHCentral News is gathered daily to bring you the latest developments in pulmonary hypertension treatments and research as well as stories we think are useful on an array of topics.  Under current news, you will find a dynamic list of stories for the last thirty (30) days.  You will find older news stories in our archives.    Stories about specific treatments can also be found in the medical section.

If you run across a PH news story we've missed or important story with broad appeal, please send us the link and we'll make sure it gets added.   Send news:  contact/info+phcentral+org.

• May 20, 2012
• 'Parachute' Promising for Heart Failure
(MedPage Today) The Parachute, a percutaneous device that walls off part of the left ventricle to help failing hearts, appears to have a big impact on outcomes, pilot study results showed.
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• Treating Sleep Disorder Improves Psychiatric Outcomes
(Medscape) A new study suggests that treating sleep disorders, and sleep apnea in particular, is associated with improvement over baseline in symptoms of comorbid psychiatric disorders.
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• Portopulmonary Hypertension
(Medscape) Portopulmonary hypertension (POPH) refers to the presence of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in patients with portal hypertension. Pulmonary hypertension in patients with liver disease or portal hypertension can be due to multiple mechanisms, including hyperdynamic (high-flow) state, increased pulmonary venous congestion, and vascular constriction or obstruction of the pulmonary arterial bed.
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• New Concepts in the Assessment of Syncope
(Medscape) Significant progress has been made in the past 3 decades in our understanding of the various causes of loss of consciousness thanks to the publication of several important studies and guidelines. In particular, the recent European Society of Cardiology guidelines provide a reference standard for optimal quality service delivery. This paper gives the reader brief guidance on how to manage a patient with syncope, with reference to the above guidelines
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• Lung spirometry parameters and diffusion capacity are decreased in patients with Type 2 diabetes
(Medscape) In cohort studies, Type 2 diabetes mellitus has been associated with decreased forced 1 s expiratory volume and forced vital capacity. We examined if forced vital capacity, forced 1 s expiratory volume and diffusion lung capacity correlate with diabetes mellitus across different races in a clinical setting.
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• May 19, 2012
• Coffee Consumption Linked to Lower Risk for Death
(Medscape) Men who drank 2 to 3 cups of coffee daily had a 10% decrease in their risk for death during the 13 years of the study compared with men who drank no coffee. Women who drank 2 to 3 cups of coffee daily had a 13% decrease in their risk for death.
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• Psoriasis and Risk of Nonfatal Cardiovascular Disease in U.S. Women
(Medscape) Psoriasis has been linked to cardiovascular comorbidities in cross-sectional studies, but evidence regarding the association between psoriasis and incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) is limited.
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• May 18, 2012
• Study: Some Sit-Down Restaurant Chains as Unhealthy as Fast Food
(NBC Los Angeles) About 82 percent of Americans eat at restaurants at least once a week, but a new study shows that not all sit-down chains are healthier than fast food joints, according to the Rand Corp.
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• May 17, 2012
• People living longer but getting sicker
(New York Daily News) Increased life expectancy and changes in lifestyle mean that chronic conditions once associated with wealthier nations are now affecting lower income countries.
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• Very Sugary Diet Makes You Stupid
(Medical News Today) As we near the final year exams for schools and universities, students should be wary of powering up on buckets of soda and pocketfuls of candy bars. A UCLA study on rats suggests that fructose slows down the brain and memory functions. Too much sweetness can also prevent learning. The findings are published in Journal of Physiology and also show omega-3 fatty acids helping to negate the effect.
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• May 16, 2012
• Postorthopedic Anticoagulation a Double-Edged Sword
(MedScape) A systematic review suggests that a prolonged course of anticoagulation after major orthopedic surgery decreases the risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) but increases the risk for minor bleeding.
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• FMC offers new Flolan treatment
(Lancaster Eagle Gazette) For patients with high pressure in the lungs after open heart surgery, Flolan relieves the pressure in the right ventricle, which can get stressed after a bypass. Research has shown that inhaled Flolan effectively relieves that pressure.
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• May 15, 2012
• Don’t forget to care for the caregiver
(UT San Diego) The typical family caregiver is a college-educated, married and employed 49-year-old woman who juggles several important duties. She is likely caring for her widowed 69-year-old mother who lives nearby, and there is a 37 percent chance that her children or grandchildren are living with her. And as a consequence of these selfless efforts to care for others, she is compromising her own health.
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• Lack of Gut Bugs Linked to Extra Pounds on Kids
(MedPage Today) Low concentrations of Bacteroides fragilis group bacteria were linked with a greater likelihood of being obese using two different methods of assessing the bacteria (P=0.033 and P=0.013, respectively), Liene Bervoets, MD, of the University of Hasselt in Belgium, and colleagues reported at the European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France.
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• May 14, 2012
• Scleroderma Study
(Science Daily) A new analysis finds that compared to Caucasians, African-Americans with systemic scleroderma have more antibodies in the blood that are linked to severe complications and an increased likelihood of death. Researchers say this finding, recently published in Arthritis & Rheumatism, suggests physicians can use these disease markers to screen and treat scleroderma patients proactively.
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• Ablation Could Be First-Line Afib Therapy
(MedPage Today) For patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, radiofrequency ablation was superior to antiarrhythmic drug therapy as first-line treatment, a randomized trial showed.
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• Acupuncture May Find Role in COPD
(MedPage Today) Japanese scientists, evaluating the needle and the damage undone, say that acupuncture can relieve an important symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD).
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• Do Vitamins And Supplements Actually Work?
(Huff Post Healthy Living) Vitamins and dietary supplements are big -- more than 110 million Americans forked over a collective $28 billion in 2010 on little bottles of would-be health magic. Research is unclear, however, on whether shoring up your diet with extra vitamins, minerals, and other supplements helps or hurts -- in the short run or in reaching for the century mark.
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• May 13, 2012
• Update on Mechanical Circulatory Support in Heart Failure
(Medscape) Temporary mechanical support technology has advanced, and the miniaturisation of these devices has permitted their use with less operative morbidity and more rapid functional recovery following operation. At present a broad range of devices are available.
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• Closing Patent Foramen Ovale Eases Oxygen Desaturation During Exercise
(Medscape) Percutaneous closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) ameliorates oxygen desaturation during stair exercise and improves functional status, researchers say.
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• Brand vs Generic Drugs: Are Patient Outcomes Affected?
(Medscape) Do differences, if any, between generic and brand products affect clinical outcomes?
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• More Evidence Soda Consumption May Raise Stroke Risk
(Medscape) A new analysis from the Nurses' Health Study provides more evidence that drinking sugar-sweetened and low-calorie soda may raise the risk for stroke, independent of established dietary and nondietary cardiovascular risk factors.
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• May 12, 2012
• FDA Panel Recommends Tofacitinib Approval for RA
(Medscape) The US Food and Drug Administration Arthritis Advisory Committee voted 8-2 today to recommend the approval of tofacitinib, the first oral drug to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
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• Dietary Nitrate Ameliorates Pulmonary Hypertension
(AHA Journal) British scientists demonstrate in mice, that dietary nitrate, and to a lesser extent dietary nitrite, elicit pulmonary dilatation, prevent pulmonary vascular remodeling, and reduce the RVH characteristic of PH. This favorable pharmacodynamic profile is dependent on eNOS and XOR -catalyzed reduction of nitrite to NO. Exploitation of this mechanism (i.e. dietary nitrate/nitrite supplementation) represents a viable, orally-active therapy for PH.

The beneficial effects of dietary nitrate and nitrite were reduced in mice lacking endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) or treated with the xanthine oxidoreductase (XOR) inhibitor allopurinol.

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• Pearls on the Use of Tiotropium and a LABA for COPD
(Medscape) Two strategies are commonly used as maintenance treatment for patients with moderate or severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): (1) an inhaled corticosteroid + long-acting beta-agonist (ICS-LABA) combination, such as fluticasone and salmeterol or budesonide and formoterol, and (2) an ICS-LABA combination along with the long-acting anticholinergic agent tiotropium.
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• 12 Common COPD Comorbidities Linked to Higher Risk for Death
(Medscape) Certain comorbidities common among people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are independently associated with a higher likelihood of death, new research shows.
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• Probiotics May Lower Risk for Antibiotic-Related Diarrhea
(Medscape) Probiotics appear to reduce risk for antibiotic-related diarrhea, although questions of which probiotics work best, with which antibiotics, or even how much probiotic someone needs to take remain up in the air after a meta-analysis of 63 sometimes shaky randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
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• May 11, 2012
•  Stem Cell Study Shows Promising Results Against Heart Failure
(usnews.com) THURSDAY, May 10 (HealthDay News) -- A new treatment that involves spinning bone marrow stem cells to enhance their healing potential may help people with advanced heart failure feel and function better, a small study suggests.
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• FDA Safety Concerns on new Obesity Drug: Fen Phen Lawsuits
(prweb.com) In the briefing documents for the May 10th, 2012 meeting of the FDA Advisory Committee, reviewers expressed concerns on safety of Lorcaserin obesity drug. Safety concerns relate mainly to heart problems. Another obesity drug, the popular Fen Phen, was withdrawn from the market in 1997. Fen Phen was linked with heart valve damage and primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). 
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• May 10, 2012
• Stony Brook, NYU in deal with drug firm
(chicagotribune.com) The medical schools of Stony Brook University and New York University have struck an agreement with a New Jersey pharmaceutical company to develop an experimental treatment for a fatal lung disease.
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• Feinstein Institute Researchers Discover Gene that Leads to Severe Weight Gain with Antipsychotic Treatment
(prweb.com) Antipsychotic medications are increasingly prescribed in the US, but they can cause serious side effects including rapid weight gain, especially in children. In the first study of its kind, researchers at Zucker Hillside Hospital and the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research identified a gene that increases weight gain in those treated with commonly-used antipsychotic drugs. These findings were published in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
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• When it comes to organs, Philly is most generous
(www.philly.com) IT WAS ONE of those letters that made me throw my hands in the air.

“Please help my son get a kidney,” the woman wrote in shaky script. “I am elderly, and he takes care of me. He has bad kidney disease and is getting sicker. He needs a kidney.”

So, she asked: Could I find one for him?

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• May 9, 2012
• GE Healthcare Secures Additional Supply of Optison™
(businesswire.com) PRINCETON, N.J.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--GE Healthcare today announced that additional supply for Optison™ (Perflutren Protein-Type A Microspheres Injectable Suspension, USP) has been made available from its contract manufacturer to meet the current market demand. Optison is a contrast agent that may improve the visualization of the left ventricular border – an area of the heart that is critical to see in order to diagnose certain heart diseases such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Optison is indicated for use in patients with suboptimal echocardiograms to opacify the left ventricle and to improve delineation of the left ventricular endocardial borders. 
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• Indian drug regulator accused of malpractice
(www.ft.com) India’s drug regulator colluded with global pharmaceutical companies to expedite the approval of drugs, according to a parliamentary report whose findings were swiftly challenged by manufacturers.
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• May 8, 2012
• Actelion presents its strategy for value creation
(reuters.com) ALLSCHWIL/BASEL, SWITZERLAND - 08 May 2012 - Actelion (SIX: ATLN) will today outline the company's three key strategic elements for value creation at an investor event in London.
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• India-Born Superbugs Spread Global Drug Resistance
(Business Week) India's overuse of antibiotics, coupled with the nation's poor sanitation, has led to a new type of superbug, mutated bacteria that even the most high-powered antibiotics can't kill. 
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• Erectile Dysfunction Drug May Benefit Cardiac Function in Young Patients with Heart Defects
(marketwatch.com) PHILADELPHIA, May 8, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Echo Study at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Shows Improvements in Children, Young Adults with Single Ventricle--

Sildenafil, also known as the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, may give a boost to underdeveloped hearts in children and young adults with congenital heart defects.

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• May 7, 2012
• Cardio Notes: Stroke Imaging Not Always Timely
(www.medpagetoday.com) Even hospitals schooled in enhanced stroke treatment are lagging in efficient brain scanning. Also this week, rivaroxaban vies for indication expansion and peripheral arterial disease has new treatment options.  The mantra in stroke care is "time is brain," but imaging acute stroke patients to determine stroke type is not happening as quickly as it should, researchers found.
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• May 6, 2012
• O2 Advised for Air Travel With Pulmonary Hypertension
(Medscape) Patients with pulmonary hypertension often develop hypoxemia on airplanes, and they should consider using supplemental oxygen on long flights or if they've used oxygen before.
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• Effects of CPAP on Cardiac Remodeling as Assessed by Cardiac Biomarkers, Echocardiography, and Cardiac MRI
(Medscape) Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Although previous echocardiographic studies have demonstrated short-term improvement in cardiovascular remodeling in patients with OSA receiving continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy, a long-term study incorporating cardiac biomarkers, echocardiography, and cardiac MRI (CMR) has not been performed to date.
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• Sildenafil Helps 'Unload' Heart in Patients With Aortic Stenosis
(Medscape) A single dose of sildenafil improves pulmonary and systemic hemodynamics in very ill patients with aortic stenosis, a new 20-patient trial indicates.
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• Sildenafil Improves Diabetic Cardiomyopathy
(Medscape) Better known as a treatment for erectile dysfunction, the phosphodiesterase 5A inhibitor sildenafil also improves diabetic cardiomyopathy, researchers from Italy report.
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• May 5, 2012
• Actelion Gets 'Best Case' Results From Trial of PAH Drug
(Medscape) A new drug for pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) from Actelion beat expectations in a key phase III trial. Actelion is banking on macitentan to replace Tracleer (bosentan), which treats the same condition. Tracleer goes off patent from 2015 and also faces growing competition from Gilead's Letairis (ambrisentan).
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• NIH to Help Drugmakers Share Research
(MedPage Today) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced Thursday that it will partner with three drug companies -- Pfizer, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly -- to make data on two dozen already researched, but mostly discarded, molecular compounds available to academic researchers in hope of developing new disease treatment.
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• FDA, NIH Respond to Charges of Lax Oversight
(MedPage Today) Both agencies wrote letters to Congress disputing charges leveled against them in an analysis published in January in BMJ that found that neither government-funded nor privately-funded studies for pre-approved drugs were being reported in a timely manner, according to an article published online this week in Nature. 
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• Fully Oral Therapy for Symptomatic Pulmonary Embolism
(Medscape) In a previous study, the oral factor Xa inhibitor rivaroxaban was as effective as standard enoxaparin-warfarin therapy for patients with proximal deep venous thrombosis (JW Gen Med Jan 15 2011, p. 13, and N Engl J Med 2010; 363:2499). Now, industry-supported researchers have conducted a similar open-label, randomized trial involving nearly 5000 adults with acute symptomatic pulmonary embolism
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• Adenosine Points to Calcium Blocker Response in PAH
(Medscape) Adenosine infusion, used for acute vasoreactivity testing in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), can also help patients likely to respond to treatment with calcium channel blockers (CCBs), Chinese researchers say.
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• Medscape Pulmonologist Compensation Report: 2012 Results
(Medscape) In 2011, pulmonologists earned a mean income of $242,000 -- slightly more than in the previous year. Of the 25 specialties surveyed, they are in the middle ranks in compensation. More than one third of pulmonologists earned $200,000 to $299,000. Some 13% earned $400,000 or more, while 14% earned $100,000 or less.
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• Serum osteoprotegerin (OPG) is increased and predicts survival in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.
(PubMed) In two rodent models, OPG correlated with the degree of pulmonary vascular remodeling. OPG levels are significantly elevated in patients with idiopathic PAH and are of prognostic significance. The role of OPG as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target merits further investigation.
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• May 4, 2012
• VentriPoint 3D Heart Analysis System Approved for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Canada
(Digital Journal) Read this news by clicking the headline
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• Press Releases VentriPoint Launches Clinical Trial in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) With Top Pulmonary Hypertension Centres in the United States and Canada
(Health Care Global) SEATTLE, WASHINGTON--(Marketwire - May 2, 2012) - VentriPoint Diagnostics (TSX VENTURE:VPT) (OTCQX:VPTDF) today announced the commencement of the pivotal clinical trial to demonstrate that the VentriPoint VMS™ heart analysis system is equivalent to cardiac MRI in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The trial will be lead by Dr. Robyn Barst.
Find the clinical sites nd the lead clinical investigators at each site by clicking the headline.
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• Orphan Drug OK'd for Gaucher Treatment
(MedPage Today) The injectable, marketed by Pfizer, is a long-term enzyme replacement therapy for patients with type I, non-neuropathic Gaucher disease, and is to be administered once every other week by a healthcare professional, an FDA statement said.
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• More Proof CMS Infection Pay Policy Works
(MedPage Today) Hospitals have become more focused on preventing infections since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has stopped paying for those it deems preventable, a survey found.
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• Actelion's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders held in Basel, Switzerland
(Reuters)
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• A novel expression of exercise induced pulmonary hypertension in human immunodeficiency virus patients: a pilot study.
(PubMed) Patients with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are at risk for multiple pulmonary complications including pulmonary hypertension. Exercise induced pulmonary hypertension (EIPH) has been previously described in patients with scleroderma, sickle cell disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, yet has not been associated with the HIV population.
[..]
This pilot study suggests that it is feasible to use recumbent bicycle and transthoracic Doppler echocardiography for the evaluation of EIPH among HIV patients with dyspnea of unknown etiology. The study is too small to draw any broad conclusion. Further evaluation of this concept with a larger study is warranted.
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• May 3, 2012
• Aspirin is as 'good as warfarin' for most heart failure patients
(BBC) Aspirin could be as effective as more expensive drugs for heart failure patients with a normal heart rhythm, according to researchers.  Their study on more than 2,000 patients, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said aspirin was as effective as the commonly prescribed drug warfarin.
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• May 2, 2012
• Evidence Grows for Effects of Fat on Heart
(Medpage Today)

There is a causal link between increased body mass index (BMI) and the risk for ischemic heart disease, according to a new study.

Ischemic heart disease risk rose 52% with each 4 kg/m² in BMI when factoring in genetics (95% CI 1.12 to 2.05), Nicholas J. Timpson, PhD, of the University of Bristol, in England, and colleagues found...

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• May 1, 2012
• Beneficial effects of ?-aminobutyric acid on right ventricular pressure and pulmonary vascular remodeling in experimental pulmonary hypertension.
(Sciencedirect.com) It has been reported that activation of the sympathetic nervous system and increase in plasma norepinephrine (NE) levels are observed in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is one of the major inhibitory neurotransmitters in the central nervous system and suppresses peripheral sympathetic neurotransmission. This study investigated whether chronic treatment with GABA prevents the development of monocrotaline (MCT)-induced PH.
[..]
These results suggest that plasma NE levels play an important role in the development of MCT-induced PH in rats and that GABA exerts a preventive effect against MCT-induced PH by suppressing the sympathetic nervous system but not the cardiac ET-1 system.
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• Erythroid-Specific Transcriptional Changes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from Pulmonary Hypertension Patients
(Plosone) In PH, the expansion of immature red blood cell precursors may constitute a response to the increasingly hypoxic conditions prevalent in this syndrome. A correlation of this erythrocyte signature with more severe hypertension cases may provide an important biomarker of disease progression.
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• Facebook encouraging organ donations
(CNN) On average, 18 people in the United States die each day waiting for an organ transplant.

Billionaire Facebook co-founder Mark Zuckerberg wants to change that. He announced Tuesday that the social networking site wants to "help solve the crisis" by allowing users to volunteer as potential organ donors in the United States and the United Kingdom.
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• April 30, 2012
• Actelion's macitentan meets primary endpoint in pivotal Phase III SERAPHIN outcome study in patients with PAH
(Actelion) Macitentan increases survival rate very significantly... 

News editor note:  This is a truly exciting development.
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• Kids Overlooked for Inclusion in Drug Trials
(MedPage Today) Clinical drug trials have left pediatrics behind, with too few trials and too little industry funding given the disease burden, researchers found.
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• April 29, 2012
• Scar Tissue Becomes Heart Muscle in Mice
(MedPage Today) It is possible to convert scar tissue in the heart to functioning cardiomyocytes following a myocardial infarction (MI), a proof-of-concept study in mice showed.
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• Both Hyper- and Hypothyroidism Linked to CV Events
(Medscape) Mild degrees of hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism both appear to be associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events [1,2]. And treatment of hypothyroidism with levothyroxine may reduce this risk, at least in younger patients.
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• Junk Food Linked to Depression
(Medscape) In a cohort study of almost 9000 adults in Spain, those who consistently consumed "fast food," such as hamburgers and pizza, were 40% more likely to develop depression than the participants who consumed little to none of these types of food. In addition, investigators found that the depression risk rose steadily as more fast food was consumed.
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• Regular Tooth Scaling May Protect the Heart
(Medscape) Older adults who get thorough dental cleanings may be somewhat less likely to suffer acute myocardial infarction (MI) or stroke than their peers who are less careful about oral hygiene, a new study hints.
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• Traditional Chinese Medicine Appears Useful for Obesity
(Medscape) Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), including acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, has better efficacy than placebo and lifestyle interventions and similar efficacy to antiobesity drugs, with fewer side effects, according to the findings of a systemic review.
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• April 28, 2012
• Everest Climbers in Test for Keys to Heart Treatment
(Medscape) A team of U.S. scientists departed on Friday to conduct research on Mount Everest climbers in an effort to further knowledge of the cardiovascular system at extreme altitudes and help improve treatment for heart and lung patients.
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• Emphysema on CT Scans Tied to Higher Lung Cancer Risk
(Medscape) Emphysema that's visible to a doctor reading a computed tomography (CT) scan is associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, according to a report online March 19 in Lung Cancer.
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• Medical Device Tax May Spur Price Hikes, Cost Cuts
(Medscape) Raising prices and cutting spending are among the steps medical device makers are considering to offset the impact of a new U.S. excise tax on the devices, set to take effect in 2013, according to a survey by global accounting and audit firm KPMG.
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• LVADs May Confer Unfair Transplant Advantage
(MedPage Today) A 30-day preference for heart transplantation given to patients with left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) may not be necessary and may put others on the waiting list at risk, researchers found.
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• April 27, 2012
• New Techniques May Improve Infant Heart Surgery
(U.S. News) Two monitoring methods could warn doctors of brain damage, researchers say.
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• April 26, 2012
• Silicosis Is Still A Major Killer Globally
(Medical News Today) Free crystalline silicon dioxide, or silica, is one of the most common minerals worldwide. It is used to manufacture many items, including glass, bottles, ceramics, but it is also a common additive in the production of foods where it is primarily used as a flow agent in powdered foods or to absorb water. Inhalation of silica dust is associated with developing various diseases...
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• Pulmonary hypertension associated with benfluorex exposure.
(European Respiratory Journal) Benfluorex was marketed in France until 2009, despite its similar pharmacological properties with fenfluramine and its derivatives known to be a cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
[..]
"The results of our study, together with the accumulated data regarding the known toxic effects of fenfluramine and dexfenfluramine, strongly suggest that benfluorex exposure is a potent trigger for pulmonary arterial hypertension."
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• Obesity and pulmonary arterial hypertension: Is adiponectin the molecular link between these conditions?
(Pulmonary Circulation) Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition of unknown etiology whose pathological features include increased vascular resistance, perivascular inflammatory cell infiltration and pulmonary arteriolar remodeling. Although risk factors for PAH are poorly defined, recent studies indicate that obesity may be an important risk factor for this condition. The mechanisms leading to this association are largely unknown, but bioactive mediators secreted from adipose tissue have been implicated in this process. One of the most important mediators released from adipose tissue is the adipokine adiponectin.[..]
Levels of adiponectin decrease with increasing body mass, and low levels are directly linked to the development of PAH in mice. Moreover,..
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• PET imaging can quantify increased cellular metabolism in pulmonary arterial hypertension
(Pubmed) The past decade has seen increased application of 18-flurodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET) imaging to help diagnose and monitor disease, particularly in oncology, vasculitis and atherosclerosis. Disordered glycolytic metabolism and infiltration of plexiform lesions by inflammatory cells has been described in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). We hypothesized that increased (18)FDG uptake may be present in the lungs, large pulmonary arteries and right ventricle of patients with pulmonary hypertension, and that this uptake would be related to markers of immune activation. We
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• Illinois surgeons re-transplant kidney into second patient in unusual operation
(L.A. Times) In what is claimed to be the first operation of its kind, surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago have removed a transplanted kidney from its original recipient and implanted it in a second recipient. The kidney was failing in the first patient, but began fluorishing in the second and is now healthy.
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• April 25, 2012
• Debt Collector Is Faulted for Tough Tactics in Hospitals
(New York Times) Hospital patients waiting in an emergency room or convalescing after surgery are being confronted by an unexpected visitor: a debt collector at bedside.
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• April 24, 2012
• Sleep Apnea Impacts Brain Artery Function After Just 1 Month, Study Shows
(Huffington Post) Sleep apnea has been linked with a whole host of health problems, including obesity, diabetes, depression and memory problems. And now, a new animal study shows how big of an effect sleep apnea has on the brain's arteries, which could put a person at risk for stroke
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• Appendix removal: Huge sticker shock in study
(KLEW-TV) What do hospitals charge to remove an appendix? The startling answer is that it could be the same as the price of a refrigerator — or a house.
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• April 23, 2012
•  Erectile Dysfunction Drug Seizure
(Huffington Post) Canada Border Police Seize Counterfeit Drug Shipment - Mounties and border guards in Manitoba have seized a shipment of fake drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
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• FDA Alerts Doctors on Fakes
(Wall Street Journal) The Food and Drug Administration warned more than 50 doctors and medical practices in the U.S. that they may have bought a fake version of the cancer drug Avastin, in a sign of just how widely counterfeit medicines can spread.
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• The Wrong Way to Stop Fake Drugs
(New York Times) IN 2007-8, when counterfeit versions of heparin, a blood-thinning drug, were shipped from China to the United States market, 149 people died. In the last few months, bogus versions of the cancer drug Avastin, apparently shipped from the Middle East, have surfaced in clinics in California, Illinois and Texas. Thankfully, so far as we know, they haven’t killed anyone, but more and more cases of dangerous fake drugs are being reported by the Food and ...
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• April 22, 2012
• Study Finds No Harm From Beta-Blockers in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
(Medscape) Use of beta blockers does not appear to cause adverse clinical effects in patients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH), Canadian researchers have found.
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• RA Pain: New Recommendations for Treatment
(Medscape) Rheumatologists associated with the 3e (evidence, expertise, exchange) Initiative report a set of 11 evidence-based recommendations for drug therapy to manage pain in inflammatory arthritis (IA; predominantly rheumatoid arthritis [RA]), as well as a new treatment algorithm for clinical use. The recommendations were published online March 24 in Rheumatology.
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• Close Monitoring Needed Immediately After Multilevel OSA Surgery
(Medscape) Routine ICU admission might not be necessary after multilevel surgery for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), but patients should be observed in the recovery room for several hours, say researchers who reviewed nearly 500 cases.
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