ResearchRSS3 days ago
A new study found that babies born early who develop a lung condition called bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) often need medications to treat high blood pressure in their lungs (pulmonary hypertension). However, as these children grow into toddlers around age 2, many of them stop needing these medications. This suggests that the lung condition may improve naturally as kids get older.
WHY IT MATTERSIf your child with BPD and pulmonary hypertension is on PH medications, this research suggests their doctor may be able to reduce or stop treatment as they grow, potentially reducing long-term medication burden and side effects.
ResearchRSS5 days ago
A new study used wrist sensors to track physical activity in children with pulmonary hypertension (a condition where blood pressure in the lungs is too high). Researchers found that kids with this condition exercise less intensely and for shorter periods than healthy children. Children with more severe cases had even bigger drops in exercise intensity.
WHY IT MATTERSUnderstanding how pulmonary hypertension limits children's physical activity can help doctors and families set realistic exercise goals and monitor whether treatments are helping kids stay more active.
ResearchRSS5 days ago
A study from Japan found that people with pulmonary hypertension (a condition where blood vessels in the lungs become stiff and narrow) who have higher pulmonary vascular resistance—a measure of how hard the heart has to work to pump blood through the lungs—tend to have worse health outcomes. The study also looked at whether a type of diabetes medication called SGLT2 inhibitors might help these patients.
WHY IT MATTERSIf you have pulmonary hypertension related to heart disease, knowing that high pulmonary vascular resistance predicts worse outcomes could help your doctor decide whether to start more aggressive treatment earlier or monitor you more closely.