Self-Report Daily Life Activity as a Prognostic Marker of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive disease, leading to substantial physical impairment. The distance walked in 6 min (6MWD) is a measure of exercise tolerance and is of prognostic relevance in IPF. While 6MWD is a punctual measurement which may not be representative, self-reported daily life activity may represent the patients' functional capacity more globally even in less severe affected patients.

Residual pulmonary vasodilative reserve predicts outcome in idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.

Objective: Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) remains a devastating and incurable, albeit treatable condition. Treatment response is not uniform and parameters that help to anticipate a rather benign or a malignant course of the disease are warranted. Acute pulmonary vasoreactivity testing during right heart catheterisation is recommended to identify a minority of patients with IPAH with sustained response to calcium channel blocker therapy.

Acute hemodynamic responses to supplemental oxygen and their prognostic implications in pulmonary hypertension.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) of various causes leads to a poor prognosis. Pulmonary vasoreactivity testing during right heart catheterization (RHC) has prognostic and therapeutic consequences.

Objective: To characterize the acute hemodynamic response to short-term oxygen supplementation (SHOT) in adult PH patients and its impact on prognosis.

N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide and renal insufficiency as predictors of mortality in pulmonary hypertension.

Background: N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a byproduct of the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) that was shown to be of prognostic value in pulmonary hypertension (PH). The role of NT-proBNP in PH has to be determined, especially under the influence of renal impairment that might lead to an accumulation of the peptide, and may be a sign of increased mortality per se.

Methods: We assessed NT-proBNP, BNP, renal function, and hemodynamic parameters (during right-heart catheterization) in 118 consecutive patients with isolated PH, excluding left-heart disease.

Brain natriuretic peptide is a prognostic parameter in chronic lung disease.

Rationale: The detection of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic lung disease has prognostic implications. The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been suggested as a noninvasive marker for the presence and severity of pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: We evaluated circulating BNP levels as a parameter for the presence and severity of pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic lung disease.

Characterization of brain natriuretic peptide in long-term follow-up of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

Study Objectives: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) leads to substantial morbidity and mortality. Noninvasive parameters in the follow-up assessment of PAH could be helpful in clinical decision making. The brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) has been shown to correlate with the functional status and prognosis of these patients and could be a valuable parameter in this respect.

Clinical significance of brain natriuretic peptide in primary pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels in the assessment of functional status and right heart performance in primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH).

Background: Primary pulmonary hypertension is a progressive disease leading to right heart failure and death. Right heart catheterization and maximal or submaximal exercise tests are employed to assess the course of the disease and the effect of therapeutic interventions.

Hemodynamic response to sildenafil, nitric oxide, and iloprost in primary pulmonary hypertension.

Study Objectives: Different vasodilators and different routes of application are used for the treatment of primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH). Recently, sildenafil, a phosphodiesterase-V inhibitor, has been shown to have beneficial hemodynamic effects in PPH. However, the hemodynamic effects of sildenafil have not been characterized and compared to other vasodilators such as inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) or iloprost in PPH in the same group of patients.