The Journal of heart and lung transplantation : the official publication of the International Society for Heart Transplantation
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Mar 2015
ReviewPulmonary hypertension in heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.
In heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), an entity that remains challenging and difficult to treat, the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH), via an increase in left atrial pressure, is the direct consequence of reduced relaxation and enhanced stiffness of the left ventricle and is now viewed as an important contributor to clinical worsening and increased mortality. PH becomes a relevant clinical phenotype in approximately 50% of patients with HFpEF and represents a true challenge in the clinical follow-up and management of these patients. Along with these epidemiologic insights, there has been increasing recognition of the pathophysiology of PH and its consequences on the right ventricle in patients with HFpEF. ⋯ Many theoretical rationales as well as progressively accumulating evidence support the usefulness of nitric oxide pathway-potentiating compounds in targeting the lung vasculature through phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors or guanylate cyclase stimulators to produce vasodilation and potentially a biologic effect. These pharmacologic strategies may be clinically effective options for the treatment of PH in patients with HFpEF; however, large controlled trials are necessary to address definitively the safety, tolerability, and potential impact on morbidity and mortality. This review details the pathophysiologic process, prevalence, and consequences of HFpEF-associated PH and discusses current and emerging treatment strategies to prevent or treat this deleterious sequela when present.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Mar 2015
Multicenter StudyEffect of pulmonary hypertension on survival in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis after lung transplantation: an analysis of the United Network of Organ Sharing registry.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a comorbidity associated with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). There is limited research regarding the effect on survival after lung transplantation (LTx). ⋯ On the basis of our models and despite PH being prevalent, there is no strong evidence suggesting that PH significantly alters the risk of death in IPF patients after LTx.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Mar 2015
Right ventricular remodeling in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: adaptive versus maladaptive morphology.
Although increased pulmonary pressure is caused by changes in the pulmonary vasculature, prognosis in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is strongly associated with right ventricular (RV) function. The aim of this study was to describe the best RV adaptive remodeling pattern to increased afterload in IPAH. ⋯ Concentric hypertrophy might represent a more favorable RV adaptive remodeling pattern to increased afterload in IPAH because it is associated with more suitable systolic function and mechanical efficiency.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Mar 2015
Multicenter Study Observational StudyPrognostic implications of serial risk score assessments in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management (REVEAL) analysis.
Data from the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-Term Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Disease Management (REVEAL) were used previously to develop a risk score calculator to predict 1-year survival. We evaluated prognostic implications of changes in the risk score and individual risk-score parameters over 12 months. ⋯ Changes in REVEAL risk scores occur in most patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension over a 12-month period and are predictive of survival. Thus, serial risk score assessments can identify changes in disease trajectory that may warrant treatment modifications.
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J. Heart Lung Transplant. · Mar 2015
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter StudyLimitations of right heart catheterization in the diagnosis and risk stratification of patients with pulmonary hypertension related to left heart disease: insights from a wireless pulmonary artery pressure monitoring system.
Although right heart catheterization (RHC) remains the gold standard for assessment of hemodynamics in patients with known or suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH), there are significant limitations to this type of assessment. The current study evaluates the limitations of RHC in the diagnosis of left heart-related PH (World Health Organization group II) among patients enrolled in the CHAMPION trial and discusses insights into patient risk from home implantable hemodynamic monitor (IHM) data that were not identified at the time of the RHC procedure. ⋯ Using only RHC, World Health Organization group II PH may be significantly under-diagnosed. In patients with left-sided HF and resting mean PA pressure ≤25 mm Hg during RHC, more frequent PA pressure monitoring using an IHM device can provide additional data for improved diagnosis and patient risk stratification compared with a single RHC alone.