Active clinical trials for "Hypertension, Pulmonary"

This is an open-label, single-center study to examine distinguishing features of the structure and function of the oral and gut microbiome in volunteers with PH in the breakdown of oral nitrate and effect on hemodynamics.

This is an open-label, multicentre study evaluating the effect, safety and tolerability of the two regioisomers 1-(nitrosooxy)propan-2-ol and 2-(nitrosooxy)propan-1-ol (PDNO) infusion given to COVID-19 patients with acute pulmonary hypertension (aPH) and/or acute cor pulmonale (ACP).

The investigators are interested in studying how Pulmonary Hypertension occurs. A substance called 'apelin', that naturally occurs in the body has been shown to have an important role in heart disease. Previous studies have shown that it can make blood vessels get wider, and help blood flow around the body and thus improve the way the heart and lungs work. The investigators are looking to recruit both healthy and COPD pulmonary hypertension patients to study 3 types of apelin. The purpose of this study is to help the investigators understand how Pulmonary Hypertension occurs which may will help with the development of future treatments.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a serious and eventually fatal disease damaging the lungs and the heart. It results from narrowing and eventual blockage of small blood vessels in the lung, due to abnormal proliferation of cells in the blood vessel (arterial). Patients with PAH suffer from fatigue, shortness of breath, low oxygen levels, blood clots and heart failure. No therapies reverse the disease process in the lung arteries, however there are three approved drugs that can temporarily dilate the vessels and improve symptoms. However, all three drugs have significant side effects and toxicities, they do not work effectively in many patients, survival remains on average only 2 to 3 years once symptoms begin, and none of these drugs prevent the underlying disease process in the small arteries of the lung. PAH is known to develop in patients with a pre-existing class of bone marrow diseases called myeloproliferative disorders (MPDs). We and others have recently shown that patients with PAH have bone marrow changes similar to those seen in patients with MPDs, even without other signs and symptoms of those bone marrow diseases such as anemia or high platelet and white blood cell counts. Compared to healthy volunteers, patients with PAH have a higher frequency of immature stem and progenitor cells able to produce blood cells and vascular wall cells in their bone marrow. They also have higher circulating numbers of these cells in the blood, and increased localization of these cells in the lung blood vessels. When immature bone marrow cells from PAH patients and normal volunteers were infused into mice, the mice receiving PAH marrow cells developed similar lung and heart problems to PAH patients, suggesting that the bone marrow problem is a primary cause of the lung problems, and that the increased numbers of immature bone marrow cells in the bone marrow and blood of PAH patients causes the lung blood vessel disease. The drug hydroxyurea is used to inhibit the abnormally high level of bone marrow cell proliferation in patients with MPDs. It has been shown to reduce the numbers of circulating immature bone marrow cells in patients with MPDs. Hydroxyurea has been available for almost fifty years, and has been used to treat patients with MPDs, sickle cell anemia, and congenital heart disease for very prolonged periods of time, up to twenty or more years in individual patients. It has an excellent long-term safety profile and few side effects and is generally well tolerated. It does not appear to result in an increased rate of leukemia even with many years of treatment. In the current protocol, we hypothesize that treating patients with PAH with hydroxyurea will decrease the level of circulating immature bone marrow cells and interrupt the abnormal narrowing and occlusion of lung arteries. We will treat patients with moderately severe primary (no known underlying cause) PAH with 6 months of hydroxyurea, carefully monitoring side effects and adjusting dosage as necessary, and measure the effect on circulating immature cells, lung blood vessel pressures, other blood markers of active PAH, and exercise tolerance.

The investigators in this study are concerned about the harmful effects of oxygen exposure in newborn infants, particularly at high concentrations. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) is an FDA approved drug for the treatment of hypoxic respiratory failure (HRF) in term and late-preterm babies greater than 34 weeks gestation. Hypoxic respiratory failure occurs when a patient's lungs cannot get enough oxygen into their bloodstream. This condition is traditionally treated with high concentrations of oxygen and most often requires the patient be placed on a ventilator (breathing machine). The administration of inhaled nitric oxygen directly into the lungs often improves blood oxygen levels and allows caretakers to reduce the amount of oxygen given to the baby. The purpose of this research study is to evaluate if giving the inhaled nitric oxide earlier in the course of disease improves the effectiveness of the drug, reduces the amount of cellular injury from oxygen exposure, and decreases the total amount of time a patient requires supplemental oxygen. This study uses an FDA approved drug in a new manner.

Background: - About one-tenth of adults with sickle cell disease have pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs). This condition can cause shortness of breath, pain crisis, and congestive heart failure. It may even lead to death. Researchers want to test the drugs imatinib and carvedilol to see if they can treat high blood pressure in the lungs. Both drugs have been used to treat other types of heart problems, but they have not been tested as a treatment for high blood pressure related to sickle cell disease. Objectives: - To see if imatinib and carvedilol are safe and effective treatments for high blood pressure in the lungs in adults with sickle cell disease. Eligibility: - Adults at least 18 years of age who have sickle cell disease and have or may have high blood pressure in the lungs. Design: Participants will be screened with a physical exam and medical history. They will also have different tests of heart and lung function, including a walking test and imaging studies. Blood and urine samples will also be collected. Participants who meet specific criteria will take one of two possible study drugs. Those who receive imatinib will take it daily. Those who receive carvedilol will take it twice a day. Participants will have weekly study visits for blood tests and other exams. The study drug dose will be adjusted at each weekly visit. It will be increased slowly to reach a target dose(based on the participant s weight) or to find a stable effective dose. Participants may continue to take their study drug for up to 24 weeks, with weekly study visits. Regular blood samples and heart and lung function tests will be performed. After 24 weeks, qualified participants may continue to take their study drug for up to 6 more months. They will have regular study visits to monitor the treatment.

Secondary hyperaldosteronism and the non-osmotic release of arginine vasopressin (AVP) are the major factors in sodium and water retention in pulmonary arterial hypertension with right ventricular failure. Natriuretic doses of mineralocorticoid antagonist and aquaretic doses of V2 receptor antagonist will attenuate the sodium and water retention respectively, and be associated with clinical improvement.

This study is an international, multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in subjects with PAH who are currently receiving approved therapy for their PAH (i.e., endothelin receptor antagonist and/or phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor)or as a monotherapy treatment. Study visits will occur at 4 week intervals for 12 weeks with the key measure of efficacy being the 6-minute walk test. Study procedures include routine blood tests, medical history, physical exams, disease evaluation, and exercise tests. At the end of the first 12-weeks, the patient will be un-blinded. Patients will continue with another 12-Week open label portion with visits occuring at 4-week intervals. Patients who complete all assessments for 24-weeks will also be eligible to enter a 36 month open-label, extension phase study (FREEDOM - EXT).

To determine the efficacy of iv sildenafil in term and near term infants with PPHN (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn), by measuring the need for inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) compared to a historical control group not treated with sildenafil.

The purpose of this study is to determine if iloprost is effective in the treatment of elevated arterial pulmonary pressure in children with ventilator treated respiratory distress syndrome.