Management of pulmonary hypertension in special conditions.

Care of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients in special situations requires insightful knowledge of the pathophysiology of the cardiopulmonary system and close interaction with different specialists, depending on the situation. The role of this task force was to gather knowledge about five conditions that PH patients may be faced with. These conditions are 1) perioperative care; 2) management of pregnancy; 3) medication adherence; 4) palliative care; and 5) the influence of climate on PH. Many of these aspects have not been covered by previous World Symposia on Pulmonary Hypertension. All of the above conditions are highly affected by psychological, geographical and socioeconomic factors, and share the need for adequate healthcare provision. The task force identified significant gaps in information and research in these areas. The current recommendations are based on detailed literature search and expert opinion. The task force calls for further studies and research to better understand and address the special circumstances that PH patients may encounter.

Combination Therapy with Oral Treprostinil for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. A Double-Blind Placebo-controlled Clinical Trial.

Rationale: Oral treprostinil improves exercise capacity in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but the effect on clinical outcomes was unknown.Objectives: To evaluate the effect of oral treprostinil compared with placebo on time to first adjudicated clinical worsening event in participants with PAH who recently began approved oral monotherapy.Methods: In this event-driven, double-blind study, we randomly allocated 690 participants (1:1 ratio) with PAH to receive placebo or oral treprostinil extended-release tablets three times daily. Eligible participants were using approved oral monotherapy for over 30 days before randomization and had a 6-minute-walk distance 150 m or greater. The primary endpoint was the time to first adjudicated clinical worsening event: death; hospitalization due to worsening PAH; initiation of inhaled or parenteral prostacyclin therapy; disease progression; or unsatisfactory long-term clinical response.Measurements and Main Results: Clinical worsening occurred in 26% of the oral treprostinil group compared with 36% of placebo participants (hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.56-0.97; P = 0.028). Key measures of disease status, including functional class, Borg dyspnea score, and N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide, all favored oral treprostinil treatment at Week 24 and beyond. A noninvasive risk stratification analysis demonstrated that oral treprostinil-assigned participants had a substantially higher mortality risk at baseline but achieved a lower risk profile from Study Weeks 12-60. The most common adverse events in the oral treprostinil group were headache, diarrhea, flushing, nausea, and vomiting.Conclusions: In participants with PAH, addition of oral treprostinil to approved oral monotherapy reduced the risk of clinical worsening.Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01560624).

Evaluation of Macitentan in Patients With Eisenmenger Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Eisenmenger syndrome describes congenital heart disease-associated severe pulmonary hypertension accompanied by right-to-left shunting. The multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, 16-week, phase III MAESTRO study (Macitentan in Eisenmenger Syndrome to Restore Exercise Capacity) evaluated the efficacy and safety of the endothelin receptor antagonist macitentan in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. METHODS: Patients with Eisenmenger syndrome aged ≥12 years and in World Health Organization functional class II-III were randomized 1:1 to placebo or macitentan 10 mg once daily for 16 weeks. Patients with complex cardiac defects, Down syndrome and background PAH therapy were eligible. The primary end point was change from baseline to week 16 in 6-minute walk distance. Secondary end points included change from baseline to week 16 in World Health Organization functional class. Exploratory end points included NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide) at end of treatment expressed as a percentage of baseline. In a hemodynamic substudy, exploratory end points included pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRi) at week 16 as a percentage of baseline. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty six patients (macitentan n=114; placebo n=112) were randomized. At baseline, 60% of patients were in World Health Organization functional class II and 27% were receiving phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitors. At week 16, the mean change from baseline in 6-minute walk distance was 18.3 m and 19.7 m in the macitentan and placebo groups (least-squares mean difference, -4.7 m; 95% confidence limit (CL), -22.8, 13.5; P=0.612). World Health Organization functional class improved from baseline to week 16 in 8.8% and 14.3% of patients in the macitentan and placebo groups (odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CL, 0.23, 1.24). NT-proBNP levels decreased with macitentan versus placebo (ratio of geometric means, 0.80; 95% CL, 0.68, 0.94). In the hemodynamic substudy (n=39 patients), macitentan decreased PVRi compared with placebo (ratio of geometric means, 0.87; 95% CL, 0.73, 1.03). The most common adverse events with macitentan versus placebo were headache (11.4 versus 4.5%) and upper respiratory tract infection (9.6 versus 6.3%); a hemoglobin decrease from baseline of ≥2 g/dL occurred in 36.0% versus 8.9% of patients. Five patients (3 macitentan; 2 placebo) prematurely discontinued treatment and 1 patient died (macitentan group). CONCLUSIONS: Macitentan did not show superiority over placebo on the primary end point of change from baseline to week 16 in exercise capacity in patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier: NCT01743001.

Angiotensin converting enzyme 2 and angiotensin (1-7) axis in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: In animal models of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)2 and angiotensin (Ang)-(1-7) have been shown to have vasodilatory, antiproliferative, antifibrotic and antihypertrophic properties. However, the status and role of the ACE2-Ang(1-7) axis in human PAH is incompletely understood. METHODS: We studied 85 patients with a diagnosis of PAH of distinct aetiologies. 55 healthy blood donors paired for age and sex served as controls. Blood samples were obtained from the pulmonary artery in patients with PAH during right heart catheterisation. Peripheral blood was obtained for both groups. Ang(1-7) and -II were measured using zone capillary electrophoresis. Aldosterone, Ang(1-9), AngA and ACE2 were measured using ELISA, and ACE2 activity was determined enzymatically. RESULTS: Of the 85 patients, 47 had idiopathic PAH, 25 had PAH associated with congenital heart disease and 13 had PAH associated with collagen vascular disease. Compared to controls, patients with PAH had a higher concentration of AngII (median 1.03, interquartile range 0.72-1.88 pmol·mL-1 versus 0.19, 0.10-0.37 pmol·mL-1; p<0.001) and of aldosterone (88.7, 58.7-132 ng·dL-1 versus 12.9, 9.55-19.9 ng·dL-1; p<0.001). Conversely, PAH patients had a lower concentration of Ang(1-7) than controls (0.69, 0.474-0.91 pmol·mL-1 versus 4.07, 2.82-6.73 pmol·mL-1; p<0.001), and a lower concentration of Ang(1-9) and AngA. Similarly, the ACE2 concentration was higher than in controls (8.7, 5.35-13.2 ng·mL-1 versus 4.53, 1.47-14.3 ng·mL-1; p=0.011), whereas the ACE2 activity was significantly reduced (1.88, 1.08-2.81 nmol·mL-1 versus 5.97, 3.1-17.8 nmol·mL-1; p<0.001). No significant differences were found among the three different aetiological forms of PAH. CONCLUSIONS: The AngII-ACE2-Ang(1-7) axis appears to be altered in human PAH and we propose that this imbalance, in favour of AngII, plays a role in the pathogenesis of the severe PAH. Further mechanistic studies are warranted.

Risk stratification and medical therapy of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) remains a severe clinical condition despite the availability over the past 15 years of multiple drugs interfering with the endothelin, nitric oxide and prostacyclin pathways. The recent progress observed in medical therapy of PAH is not, therefore, related to the discovery of new pathways, but to the development of new strategies for combination therapy and on escalation of treatments based on systematic assessment of clinical response. The current treatment strategy is based on the severity of the newly diagnosed PAH patient as assessed by a multiparametric risk stratification approach. Clinical, exercise, right ventricular function and haemodynamic parameters are combined to define a low-, intermediate- or high-risk status according to the expected 1-year mortality. The current treatment algorithm provides the most appropriate initial strategy, including monotherapy, or double or triple combination therapy. Further treatment escalation is required in case low-risk status is not achieved in planned follow-up assessments. Lung transplantation may be required in most advanced cases on maximal medical therapy.

Advances in medical therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to demonstrate advances in the medical treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Reviewed will be the evidence that favors the use of risk assessment in the treatment of PAH. Optimization of combination therapy depending on the risk or worsening will be reviewed. Finally, recent advances in new treatment strategies will be mentioned. RECENT FINDINGS: The use of therapies in sequence or in combination for the treatment of PAH has been shown to decrease morbidity and mortality. Tailoring these treatment strategies to a risk of worsening has been shown to decrease mortality and time to clinical worsening because of PAH. In addition, there have been several advances in the development of other medications separate from the three known pathogenic pathways in PAH. SUMMARY: In the last 15 years, 12 specific therapies have been approved for PAH. These therapies target three separate pathogenic pathways [the endothelin (ET), nitric oxide (NO) and prostacyclin (PGI2)]. As a result, treatment guidelines have tailored the treatment of PAH with these medications either as single drug therapy or in combination. Recently, other treatment pathways have been explored as new strategies for the treatment of PAH.

SERAPHIN haemodynamic substudy: the effect of the dual endothelin receptor antagonist macitentan on haemodynamic parameters and NT-proBNP levels and their association with disease progression in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Aims: The effect of macitentan on haemodynamic parameters and NT-proBNP levels was evaluated in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients in the SERAPHIN study. Association between these parameters and disease progression, assessed by the primary endpoint (time to first morbidity/mortality event), was explored. Methods and results: Of the 742 randomized patients, 187 with right heart catheterization at baseline and month 6 participated in a haemodynamic sub-study. Prespecified endpoints included change from baseline to month 6 in cardiac index (CI), right atrial pressure (RAP), mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP), pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), mixed-venous oxygen saturation, and NT-proBNP. Exploratory analyses examined associations between CI, RAP, and NT-proBNP and disease progression using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression models. Macitentan improved CI, RAP, mPAP, PVR and NT-proBNP vs. placebo at month 6. Absolute levels of CI, RAP and NT-proBNP at baseline and month 6, but not their changes, were associated with morbidity/mortality events. Patients with CI > 2.5 L/min/m2, RAP < 8 mmHg, or NT-proBNP < 750 fmol/ml at month 6 had a lower risk of morbidity/mortality than those not meeting these thresholds (HR 0.49, 95% CL 0.28-0.86; HR 0.72, 95% CL 0.42-1.22; and HR 0.22, 95% CL 0.15-0.33, respectively). Conclusions: For all treatment groups, baseline and month 6 values of CI, RAP, and NT-proBNP, but not their changes, were associated with morbidity/mortality events, confirming their relevance in predicting disease progression in patients with PAH. By improving those parameters, macitentan increased the likelihood of reaching threshold values associated with lower risk of morbidity/mortality.

Riociguat in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: results from an early access study.

BACKGROUND: Following positive results from the Phase III CHEST-1 study in patients with inoperable or persistent/recurrent chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), the Phase IIIb CTEPH early access study (EAS) was designed to assess the safety and tolerability of riociguat in real-world clinical practice, as well as to provide patients with early access to riociguat before launch. Riociguat is approved for the treatment of inoperable and persistent/recurrent CTEPH. METHODS: We performed an open-label, uncontrolled, single-arm, early access study in which 300 adult patients with inoperable or persistent/recurrent CTEPH received riociguat adjusted from 1 mg three times daily (tid) to a maximum of 2.5 mg tid. Patients switching from unsatisfactory prior pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-targeted therapy (n = 84) underwent a washout period of at least 3 days before initiating riociguat. The primary aim was to assess the safety and tolerability of riociguat, with World Health Organization functional class and 6-min walking distance (6MWD) as exploratory efficacy endpoints. RESULTS: In total, 262 patients (87%) completed study treatment and entered the safety follow-up (median treatment duration 47 weeks). Adverse events were reported in 273 patients (91%). The most frequently reported serious adverse events were syncope (6%), right ventricular failure (3%), and pneumonia (2%). There were five deaths, none of which was considered related to study medication. The safety and tolerability of riociguat was similar in patients switched from other PAH-targeted therapies and those who were treatment naïve. In patients with data available, mean ± standard deviation 6MWD had increased by 33 ± 42 m at Week 12 with no clinically relevant differences between the switched and treatment-naïve subgroups. CONCLUSIONS: Riociguat was well tolerated in patients with CTEPH who were treatment naïve, and in those who were switched from other PAH-targeted therapies. No new safety signals were observed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.org NCT01784562 . Registered February 4, 2013.

Macitentan and morbidity and mortality in pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Current therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension have been adopted on the basis of short-term trials with exercise capacity as the primary end point. We assessed the efficacy of macitentan, a new dual endothelin-receptor antagonist, using a primary end point of morbidity and mortality in a long-term trial. METHODS: We randomly assigned patients with symptomatic pulmonary arterial hypertension to receive placebo once daily, macitentan at a once-daily dose of 3 mg, or macitentan at a once-daily dose of 10 mg. Stable use of oral or inhaled therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension, other than endothelin-receptor antagonists, was allowed at study entry. The primary end point was the time from the initiation of treatment to the first occurrence of a composite end point of death, atrial septostomy, lung transplantation, initiation of treatment with intravenous or subcutaneous prostanoids, or worsening of pulmonary arterial hypertension. RESULTS: A total of 250 patients were randomly assigned to placebo, 250 to the 3-mg macitentan dose, and 242 to the 10-mg macitentan dose. The primary end point occurred in 46.4%, 38.0%, and 31.4% of the patients in these groups, respectively. The hazard ratio for the 3-mg macitentan dose as compared with placebo was 0.70 (97.5% confidence interval [CI], 0.52 to 0.96; P=0.01), and the hazard ratio for the 10-mg macitentan dose as compared with placebo was 0.55 (97.5% CI, 0.39 to 0.76; P<0.001). Worsening of pulmonary arterial hypertension was the most frequent primary end-point event. The effect of macitentan on this end point was observed regardless of whether the patient was receiving therapy for pulmonary arterial hypertension at baseline. Adverse events more frequently associated with macitentan than with placebo were headache, nasopharyngitis, and anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Macitentan significantly reduced morbidity and mortality among patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in this event-driven study. (Funded by Actelion Pharmaceuticals; SERAPHIN ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00660179.).

Medical therapies for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary Arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic and progressive disease characterized by an increase in pulmonary vascular resistance due to severe remodeling of the small pulmonary arteries. In PAH, the endothelial cells fail to maintain their homeostatic balance, with the consequent impaired production of vasodilators and over-expression of vasoconstrictors and proliferators. Current treatment of PAH is based on the discovery of three main pathways of endothelial dysfunction (prostacyclin, nitric oxide and endothelin-1), and includes drugs such as prostacyclin analogs, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs). Recently approved drugs that act through these classic pathways include riociguat (cyclic GMP stimulator) and macitentan (a tissue specific dual ERA). However, several new drugs and new pathways are under study. New targeted therapies include tyrosine kinase inhibitors, Rho kinase inhibitors and serotonin receptor blockers. There are now ten drugs approved for the treatment of PAH that, alone or in combination, have changed the natural history of this disease. The new drugs will allow us to further modified the patients' life expectancy and move towards a cure.

Endothelin-1 Pathway Polymorphisms and Outcomes in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

RATIONALE: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive fatal disease. Variable response and tolerability to PAH therapeutics suggests that genetic differences may influence outcomes. The endothelin pathway is central to pulmonary vascular function, and several polymorphisms and/or mutations in the genes coding for endothelin (ET)-1 and its receptors correlate with the clinical manifestations of other diseases. OBJECTIVES: To examine the interaction of ET-1 pathway polymorphisms and treatment responses of patients with PAH treated with ET receptor antagonists (ERAs). METHODS: A total of 1,198 patients with PAH were prospectively enrolled from 45 U.S. and Canadian pulmonary hypertension centers or retrospectively from global sites participating in the STRIDE (Sitaxsentan To Relieve Impaired Exercise) trials. Comprehensive objective measures including a 6-minute-walk test, Borg dyspnea score, functional class, and laboratory studies were completed at baseline, before the initiation of ERAs, and repeated serially. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms from ET-1 pathway candidate genes were selected from a completed genome-wide association study performed on the study cohort. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Patient efficacy outcomes were analyzed for a relationship between ET-1 pathway polymorphisms and clinical efficacy using predefined, composite positive and negative outcome measures in 715 European descent samples. A single-nucleotide polymorphism (rs11157866) in the G-protein alpha and gamma subunits gene was significantly associated, accounting for multiple testing, with a combined improvement in functional class and 6-minute-walk distance at 12 and 18 months and marginally significant at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: ET-1 pathway associated polymorphisms may influence the clinical efficacy of ERA therapy for PAH. Further prospective studies are needed.

STARTS-2: long-term survival with oral sildenafil monotherapy in treatment-naive pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: The double-blind, placebo-controlled Sildenafil in Treatment-Naive Children, Aged 1 to 17 Years, With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (STARTS-1) study assessed sildenafil in pediatric patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension; improved hemodynamics and exercise capacity occurred in medium- and high-dose groups. STARTS-2 was the extension study. METHODS AND RESULTS: In STARTS-1, 234 children ≥8 kg were randomly assigned to low-, medium-, or high-dose sildenafil or placebo orally thrice daily; within-group dose depended on weight. In STARTS-2, sildenafil-treated patients continued STARTS-1 dosing; placebo-treated patients were randomized to 1 of the 3 sildenafil dose groups. Patients requiring additional pulmonary arterial hypertension-specific therapy discontinued study treatment; survival follow-up was attempted. As of August 2011, all children received ≥3 years of treatment (unless discontinued) from STARTS-1 baseline; 37 deaths were reported (26 on study treatment), 1 of which occurred within the first year of treatment. Most patients who died (28/37) had idiopathic/heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension (76% versus 33% overall) and baseline functional class III/IV disease (38% versus 15% overall); patients who died had worse baseline hemodynamics. Kaplan-Meier estimated 3-year survival rates from start of sildenafil were 94%, 93%, and 88% for patients randomized to low-, medium-, and high-dose sildenafil, respectively; 87%, 89%, and 80% were known to be alive at 3 years. Hazard ratios for mortality were 3.95 (95% confidence interval, 1.46-10.65) for high versus low and 1.92 (95% confidence interval, 0.65-5.65) for medium versus low dose; however, multiple analyses raised uncertainty about the survival/dose relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Although children randomized to higher compared with lower sildenafil doses had an unexplained increased mortality, all sildenafil dose groups displayed favorable survival for children with pulmonary arterial hypertension. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION URL: http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00159874 (extension study of NCT00149913). Unique identifier: NCT00159874.

Incident and prevalent cohorts with pulmonary arterial hypertension: insight from SERAPHIN.

In SERAPHIN, a long-term, randomised, controlled trial (NCT00660179) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), macitentan significantly reduced the risk of morbidity/mortality and PAH-related death/hospitalisation. We evaluated disease progression and the effect of macitentan in treatment-naïve incident and prevalent cohorts.Patients allocated to placebo, or macitentan 3 mg or 10 mg were classified by time from diagnosis to enrolment as incident (≤6 months; n=110) or prevalent (>6 months; n=157). The risk of morbidity/mortality and PAH-related death/hospitalisation was determined using Cox regression.The risk of morbidity/mortality (Kaplan-Meier estimates at month 12: 54.4% versus 26.7%; p=0.006) and PAH-related death/hospitalisation (Kaplan-Meier estimates at month 12: 47.3% versus 19.9%; p=0.006) were significantly higher for incident versus prevalent patients receiving placebo, respectively. There was no significant difference in the risk of all-cause death between incident and prevalent cohorts (p=0.587). Macitentan 10 mg significantly reduced the risk of morbidity/mortality and PAH-related death/hospitalisation versus placebo in incident and prevalent cohorts.Incident patients had a higher risk for PAH progression compared with prevalent patients but not a higher risk of death. Macitentan delayed disease progression in both incident and prevalent PAH patients.

Efficacy and safety of oral treprostinil monotherapy for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension: a randomized, controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive, fatal disease with no cure. Parenteral and inhaled prostacyclin analogue therapies are effective for the treatment of PAH, but complicated administration requirements can limit the use of these therapies in patients with less severe disease. This study was designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the oral prostacyclin analogue treprostinil diolamine as initial treatment for de novo PAH. METHODS AND RESULTS: Three hundred forty-nine patients (intent-to-treat population) not receiving endothelin receptor antagonist or phosphodiesterase type-5 inhibitor background therapy were randomized (treprostinil, n=233; placebo, n=116). The primary analysis population (modified intent-to-treat) included 228 patients (treprostinil, n=151; placebo, n=77) with access to 0.25-mg treprostinil tablets at randomization. The primary end point was change from baseline in 6-minute walk distance at week 12. Secondary end points included Borg dyspnea index, clinical worsening, and symptoms of PAH. The week 12 treatment effect for 6-minute walk distance (modified intent-to-treat population) was 23.0 m (P=0.0125). For the intent-to-treat population, 6-minute walk distance improvements were observed at peak (26.0 m; P=0.0001) and trough (17.0 m; P=0.0025) plasma study drug concentrations. Other than an improvement in the combined 6-minute walk distance/Borg dyspnea score, there were no significant changes in secondary end points. Oral treprostinil therapy was generally well tolerated; the most common adverse events (intent-to-treat) were headache (69%), nausea (39%), diarrhea (37%), and pain in jaw (25%). CONCLUSIONS: Oral treprostinil improves exercise capacity in PAH patients not receiving other treatment. Oral treprostinil could provide a convenient, first-line prostacyclin treatment option for PAH patients not requiring more intensive therapy. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00325403.

[Pulmonary arterial hypertension: epidemiology and registries]. / Pulmoner arter hipertansiyonu: Epidemiyoloji ve kayitlar.

Registries of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have been instrumental in characterizing the presentation and natural history of the disease and provide a basis for prognostication. Since the initial accumulation of data conducted in the 1980s, subsequent registry databases have yielded information about the demographic factors, treatment, and survival of patients and have permitted comparisons between populations in different eras and environments. Inclusion of patients with all subtypes of PAH has also allowed comparisons of these subpopulations. We describe herein the basic methodology by which PAH registries have been conducted, review key insights provided by registries, summarize issues related to interpretation and comparison of the results, and discuss the utility of data to predict survival outcomes. Potential sources of bias, particularly related to the inclusion of incident and/or prevalent patients and missing data, are addressed. A fundamental observation of current registries is that survival in the modern treatment era has improved compared with that observed previously and that outcomes among PAH subpopulations vary substantially. Continuing systematic clinical surveillance of PAH will be important as treatment evolves and as understanding of mechanisms advance. Considerations for future directions of registry studies include enrollment of a broader population of patients with pulmonary hypertension of all clinical types and severity and continued globalization and collaboration of registry databases. (J Am Coil Cardiol 2013;62:D51-9) ©2013 by the American College of Cardiology Foundation.

Sleep Quality, Nutrient Intake, and Social Development Index Predict Metabolic Syndrome in the Tlalpan 2020 Cohort: A Machine Learning and Synthetic Data Study.

This study investigated the relationship between Metabolic Syndrome (MetS), sleep disorders, the consumption of some nutrients, and social development factors, focusing on gender differences in an unbalanced dataset from a Mexico City cohort. We used data balancing techniques like SMOTE and ADASYN after employing machine learning models like random forest and RPART to predict MetS. Random forest excelled, achieving significant, balanced accuracy, indicating its robustness in predicting MetS and achieving a balanced accuracy of approximately 87%. Key predictors for men included body mass index and family history of gout, while waist circumference and glucose levels were most significant for women. In relation to diet, sleep quality, and social development, metabolic syndrome in men was associated with high lactose and carbohydrate intake, educational lag, living with a partner without marrying, and lack of durable goods, whereas in women, best predictors in these dimensions include protein, fructose, and cholesterol intake, copper metabolites, snoring, sobbing, drowsiness, sanitary adequacy, and anxiety. These findings underscore the need for personalized approaches in managing MetS and point to a promising direction for future research into the interplay between social factors, sleep disorders, and metabolic health, which mainly depend on nutrient consumption by region.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study of oral sildenafil citrate in treatment-naive children with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Safe, effective therapy is needed for pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension. METHODS AND RESULTS: Children (n=235; weight ≥8 kg) were randomized to low-, medium-, or high-dose sildenafil or placebo orally 3 times daily for 16 weeks in the Sildenafil in Treatment-Naive Children, Aged 1-17 Years, With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (STARTS-1) study. The primary comparison was percent change from baseline in peak oxygen consumption (PV(O(2))) for the 3 sildenafil doses combined versus placebo. Exercise testing was performed in 115 children able to exercise reliably; the study was powered for this population. Secondary end points (assessed in all patients) included hemodynamics and functional class. The estimated mean±SE percent change in PV(O(2)) for the 3 doses combined versus placebo was 7.7±4.0% (95% confidence interval, -0.2% to 15.6%; P=0.056). PV(O(2)), functional class, and hemodynamics improved with medium and high doses versus placebo; low-dose sildenafil was ineffective. Most adverse events were mild to moderate in severity. STARTS-1 completers could enter the STARTS-2 extension study; patients who received sildenafil in STARTS-1 continued the same dose, whereas placebo-treated patients were randomized to low-, medium-, or high-dose sildenafil. In STARTS-2 (ongoing), increased mortality was observed with higher doses. CONCLUSIONS: Sixteen-week sildenafil monotherapy is well tolerated in pediatric pulmonary arterial hypertension. Percent change in PV(O(2)) for the 3 sildenafil doses combined was only marginally significant; however, PV(O(2)), functional class, and hemodynamic improvements with medium and high doses suggest efficacy with these doses. Combined with STARTS-2 data, the overall profile favors the medium dose. Further investigation is warranted to determine optimal dosing based on age and weight. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00159913.

Diagnostic evaluation of paediatric pulmonary hypertension in current clinical practice.

Current paediatric pulmonary hypertension (PH) diagnostic algorithms include some testing specifically for paediatrics, but it is unclear if this is used in clinical practice. We describe the current diagnostic workup of the TOPP (Tracking Outcomes and Practice in Paediatric Pulmonary hypertension) registry for suspected PH. We investigated 456 patients enrolled until February 2010. The majority had ECGs (94%), echocardiograms (96%) and/or chest radiographs (89%) performed and these were the noninvasive tests most frequently used for evaluation of suspected PH. No patient had all three tests considered normal, suggesting the potential for the combined use to rule out PH. For evaluation of complications associated with heart catheterisation (HC) we analysed a total of 908 HCs reported until February 2012. Of these, 554 were at diagnosis and 354 in follow-up. Complications were reported in 5.9% with five deaths considered related to HC, suggesting a higher rate of HC complications compared to adult studies. However, current recommendations support HC in paediatric PH. A proper application of the risk/benefit ratio for HC requires further data. Most children did not undergo the diagnostic workup currently recommended for adults, which highlights either incomplete awareness of current guidelines and/or challenges their appropriateness for children.

Pharmacokinetics of oral treprostinil sustained release tablets during chronic administration to patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive vascular disease that ultimately leads to right ventricular failure and death. Treprostinil diolamine is an oral prostacyclin analogue; sustained release tablets of oral treprostinil are currently being evaluated for efficacy and safety as a potential therapy in patients with PAH. Previous attempts at developing an oral prostanoid have been limited by rapid absorption and short plasma half-life; thus, the aim of this study was to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile of treprostinil diolamine in PAH patients after chronic dosing. The study enrolled 74 PAH patients who had been taking treprostinil diolamine for a minimum of 4 weeks (range: 0.5-16 mg). We collected plasma samples over 12 hours and estimated pharmacokinetic parameters using noncompartmental methods. Seventy patients had complete data. After chronic twice-daily oral dosing of treprostinil diolamine, mean area under the curve (AUC0-12) of treprostinil increased from 5244 to 20,4086 pg·hr-·mL- and mean maximum observed plasma concentration (Cmax) increased from 1383 to 33588 pg/mL. The apparent clearance (CL/F) was similar across all doses, indicating a linear dose-exposure relationship after twice-daily dosing. We conclude that twice-daily oral treprostinil provides sustained and proportional treprostinil concentrations over a wide range of doses during chronic administration to PAH patients.

A machine learning approach to personalized predictors of dyslipidemia: a cohort study.

Introduction: Mexico ranks second in the global prevalence of obesity in the adult population, which increases the probability of developing dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia is closely related to cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death in the country. Therefore, developing tools that facilitate the prediction of dyslipidemias is essential for prevention and early treatment. Methods: In this study, we utilized a dataset from a Mexico City cohort consisting of 2,621 participants, men and women aged between 20 and 50 years, with and without some type of dyslipidemia. Our primary objective was to identify potential factors associated with different types of dyslipidemia in both men and women. Machine learning algorithms were employed to achieve this goal. To facilitate feature selection, we applied the Variable Importance Measures (VIM) of Random Forest (RF), XGBoost, and Gradient Boosting Machine (GBM). Additionally, to address class imbalance, we employed Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) for dataset resampling. The dataset encompassed anthropometric measurements, biochemical tests, dietary intake, family health history, and other health parameters, including smoking habits, alcohol consumption, quality of sleep, and physical activity. Results: Our results revealed that the VIM algorithm of RF yielded the most optimal subset of attributes, closely followed by GBM, achieving a balanced accuracy of up to 80%. The selection of the best subset of attributes was based on the comparative performance of classifiers, evaluated through balanced accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity metrics. Discussion: The top five features contributing to an increased risk of various types of dyslipidemia were identified through the machine learning technique. These features include body mass index, elevated uric acid levels, age, sleep disorders, and anxiety. The findings of this study shed light on significant factors that play a role in dyslipidemia development, aiding in the early identification, prevention, and treatment of this condition.