Publications by authors named "H Olschewski"

Severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is currently defined by an elevated mean pulmonary arterial pressure and strongly elevated pulmonary vascular resistance >5 wood units. Clinically, these patients show a male predominance, and usually present with very severe dyspnea, severe hypoxemia, strongly decreased exercise capacity and poor prognosis, even though the clinical picture is frequently associated with less severe airflow obstruction. Explanted lung samples of patients with COPD and severe PH show severe remodeling of small pulmonary arterioles, predominantly in the intima and media of the vessels.

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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a frequent complication of chronic lung disease (CLD). However, PH is difficult to diagnose early since accompanying symptoms overlap and are similar to those of the underlying CLD. In most cases the PH is mild to moderate and therefore physical signs may be absent or subtle.

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Background: Exercise pulmonary hypertension (PH) was defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP)/cardiac output (CO) slope >3 mmHg·min·L between rest and exercise in the 2022 European Society of Cardiology/European Respiratory Society PH guidelines. However, large, multicentre studies on the prognostic relevance of exercise haemodynamics and its added value to resting haemodynamics are missing.

Patients And Methods: The PEX-NET (Pulmonary Haemodynamics during Exercise Network) registry enrolled patients who underwent clinically indicated right heart catheterisations both at rest and ergometer exercise from 23 PH centres worldwide.

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Article Synopsis
  • Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease (PVOD) has a poorer prognosis than idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), with median survival of only 1 year post-diagnosis.
  • Treatments for PAH have shown limited effectiveness for PVOD, with risks such as pulmonary oedema and mixed results from case reports on medication effects.
  • Lung transplantation is the best long-term treatment for suitable patients, but candidates over a certain age or with certain cancers are typically excluded; a case study describes a successful 5-year sildenafil treatment for a 59-year-old patient with PVOD and multiple myeloma.
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