Here are the main topics covered in this issue of emPHAsis (Issue Two, 2026): Cover feature / Special News and research Personal stories People and professionals Everyday life with PH Regular sections Download pdf at this link
A French multicenter trial (9 centers, 2015–2022) tested whether a 3-month supervised rehabilitation program improves 12-month exercise capacity in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, using a Zelen design to limit performance bias — addressing a gap left by prior short-term, open-label studies. Key findings: Conclusion: A 3-month supervised rehabilitation program produced a durable, significant improvement in
A review recently published in Pulmonary Circulation brings together academic and industry researchers (via the PVRI Innovative Drug Discovery Initiative) to consolidate current knowledge on activin signaling inhibitors (ASIs), the role of specific Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) ligands, efficacy/safety data, and considerations for developing next-generation activin signaling inhibitors. Key points: Open questions remain about: the
In pulmonary arterial hypertension there are significant disparities in epidemiology, clinical outcomes, and healthcare access that disproportionately affect historically neglected populations, including Black Americans, Hispanic Americans, and American Indians. A State-of-the-Art review recently published on CHEST examines the disparities in the three groups. Key points: Conclusion: These disparities stem from structural/socioeconomic barriers and discrimination—not biological differences.
A recent article by Dr. Iain Armstrong and Peter Winter examines a critical blind spot in digital health ethics known as “misrecognition”, which occurs when artificial intelligence systems evaluate patients solely through easily quantifiable metrics. By prioritizing standardized data over the complex, subjective realities of living with a chronic illness, AI tools inadvertently foster epistemic
In a single-centre Japanese cohort of 101 patients with haemodynamically severe pulmonary arterial hypertension treated with parenteral prostacyclin (1999–2023), 22 patients (22%) achieved near-normal haemodynamics and were successfully weaned off prostacyclin, all without adverse events, after a mean of 7.7 years of treatment. Those who de-escalated tended to have started prostacyclin earlier in their disease
Over the past 40 years, treatment for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has changed dramatically. What was once considered a disease with very few treatment options is now managed with a growing range of therapies that help people live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. A review recently published in Circulation looks back at
Could a new protein become a future treatment target in pulmonary arterial hypertension(PAH)? Researchers have identified a protein called placental growth factor (PlGF) as a possible new driver of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Although its name suggests it is only involved in pregnancy, placental growth factor is also active in blood vessels and the immune
Read more at this link on the EU Commission website
The e-book for the May 2026 edition of Transplant International is available online in open access at this link The cover features a letter to the editors reporting the impressive summiting of Aconcagua, the highest peak in the Americas, without supplemental oxygen by a lung transplant recipient accompanied by the medico-surgical team from Medical University
Researchers at the Suqian First Hospital in Suqian, Chian, China tested whether adding mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) to standard cardiopulmonary rehabilitation could benefit pulmonary arterial hypertension patients more than usual care alone. Fifty stable patients were split into two groups: one did a 6-week combined mindfulness-based stress reduction and rehab program, the other received standard
This “How I Do It” article addresses a practical question now facing pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) clinicians: as sotatercept gets added to background combination treatment, some patients on prostacyclin therapy show sustained improvement — raising the question of whether their prostacyclin dose can be safely reduced. The challenge is that standard monitoring tools (functional class,
This single-center retrospective study, conducted at Qilu Hospital, Shandong University (China), from February 2022 to November 2023, set out to compare two strategies for selexipag-based triple combination therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH): starting all three drugs together (initial/upfront triple therapy) versus adding selexipag on top of existing dual therapy (early sequential triple
French researchers retrospectively evaluated the haemodynamic trajectory of 62 patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) who sequentially received parenteral prostacyclins and sotatercept as part of the French early access program. They found that both treatments lowered the resistance in the blood vessels of the lungs, making it easier for blood to flow. However, the treatments worked
Researchers from China have traced the remarkable 30-year evolution of pulmonary arterial hypertension treatment, from a disease with no effective options to one on the cusp of a potential cure. What was once described as the “cancer of cardiovascular diseases” — with a median survival of just 2.8 years after diagnosis — has become a
A 10-week fully remote, home-based exercise programme for people with pulmonary hypertension (pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) was found to be both acceptable and beneficial, according to a study conducted by a group of Irish researchers, based on qualitative interviews with 13 participants. The programme combined aerobic, resistance and respiratory
This article is not new (it dates back to 2010) but we are publishing it because pulmonary hypertension (PH) and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) are often confused, whereas they are very different conditions with different diagnostic approaches and treatments. Mixing them up can lead to serious diagnostic and therapeutic errors. Key points: *Pulmonary hypertension is
Researchers from Canada have published a review which summarizes recently established and emerging signalling pathways that may influence the next generation of targeted pulmonary arterial hypertension therapies. They note that the therapeutic landscape for this condition is moving towards mechanism-based approaches with the potential to alter the course of the disease. In particular, the transforming
Assessment of exercise provides important prognostic information about pulmonary arterial hypertension patients. Researchers from the UK have recently published a review of current digital alternatives to traditional outcome measures. The 6-minute walk test (6MWT) is a key tool for monitoring pulmonary arterial hypertension, but since care is often centralized, patients may only do it once
Despite the comprehensive, evidence-based guidance offered by current international guidelines on the management of pulmonary hypertension, clinicians frequently encounter situations where the correct diagnosis or the most appropriate treatment remains uncertain. Methods A panel of pulmonary hypertension experts identified ten real-world diagnostic and management dilemmas during 2024–2025. For each, the available evidence was reviewed and
