Racial disparities in treatment patterns, healthcare resource use, and outcomes in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in the United States.

Objective: This retrospective study using claims data compared demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment patterns, healthcare resource utilization, and clinical outcomes in Black and White patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in the United States.

Methods: Patients (aged ≥18 years) had ≥1 pharmacy claim for PAH medication, ≥6 months' continuous healthcare plan enrollment, ≥1 inpatient/outpatient medical claim with a pulmonary hypertension diagnosis ≤6 months before first PAH medication, and race recorded.

Results: This analysis included 836 Black and 2896 White patients.

Inequity Analysis in Faculty Recognition Awards at a School of Medicine.

As part of developmental networks, sponsors help provide recognition and visibility opportunities to their faculty protégés. Recognition awards given to the School of Medicine (SOM) faculty are an important mechanism for acknowledging what is valued in academic medicine. Beyond their impact on individual careers, awards help define the culture and climate of an organization.

Parenteral treprostinil induction for rapid attainment of therapeutic doses of oral treprostinil.

Rationale: Oral treprostinil slows disease progression and improves exercise capacity in pulmonary arterial hypertension; however, titration can be prolonged. Published data suggests prostacyclin-naïve patients achieve total daily oral treprostinil doses of about 6 mg by Week 16, while those on prior parenteral treprostinil reach higher doses at the same timepoint.

Objectives: EXPEDITE (NCT03497689), a single-arm, multicenter study, assessed the efficacy of rapid parenteral treprostinil induction to quickly reach higher doses of oral treprostinil for the treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Implementing the EXPEDITE parenteral induction protocol: Rapid parenteral treprostinil titration and transition to oral treprostinil.

Treprostinil is a prostacyclin analogue that targets multiple cellular receptors to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). In certain scenarios, patients may require aggressive treprostinil titration. Several studies have demonstrated that higher doses of treprostinil lead to greater clinical benefit.

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of pulmonary hypertension.

The coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) disrupted delivery of healthcare. Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), especially pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), require significant resources for both diagnosis and management and are at high risk for decompensation due to disruption in their care. A survey consisting of 47 questions related to the care of patients with PH was designed by the American College of Chest Physicians 2020-2021 Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PVD) NetWork Steering Committee and sent to all members of the PVD NetWork, as well as the multiple other professional networks for PH.