It’s pulmonary hypertension month on JHLT: The Podcast! The JHLT Digital Media Editors explore two PVD-related manuscripts from the November issue of The Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation. Digital Media Editor Marty Tam, MD, assistant professor in the division of cardiovascular medicine at the University of Michigan, hosts this episode.

First, hear from first author Zvonimir Rako, MD, on his team’s study “Clinical and functional relevance of right ventricular contraction patterns in pulmonary hypertension.”

The right ventricle (RV) has a complex contraction pattern. For patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) coupling is important when considering how the RV responds to increases in afterload. Uncoupling occurs with progressive disease and the degree of uncoupling can be derived from pressure–volume loop analysis as the ratio between end-systolic and arterial elastance (Ees/Ea).

In this exploratory analysis of the prospective EXERTION study, the authors determined the relationship between RV contraction patterns and RV-PA coupling in patients with PH. They also correlated RV contraction patterns to hemodynamic risk profiles. For details on what the study found about how PH programs can use the results in their practice, listen to the discussion in the episode.

Next, the editors explored the study “Impact of sex on outcome after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension.” The podcast hosted first author Justin C.Y. Chan, MD, MPhil and senior author Marc de Perrot,  MD, MSc, FRCSC.

The impact of sex on long-term outcomes after pulmonary endarterectomy for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) has remained unclear. The authors of this study sought to evaluate the early and long-term outcomes after pulmonary endarterectomy to see if sex had an impact on the risk of residual pulmonary hypertension and need for targeted PH medical therapy. 

For details on what this retrospective single-center study found, including the mechanics of sex differences and the potential changes to clinical approach, check out the episode.

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