Correlation of pulmonary hypertension severity with metrics of comorbid sleep-disordered breathing.

Purpose: We performed nocturnal polysomnography in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) of varying etiologies to determine the association of metrics describing sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) with measures of PH severity.

Methods: Consecutive patients referred for evaluation of dyspnea on exertion and elevated pulmonary arterial pressure >30 mmHg on echocardiography, who underwent right and left heart catheterization and polysomnography, were included. Patients were not pre-selected for symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing.

Repeated phlebotomies improve and stabilise renal function in cyanotic nephropathy.

Patients over 10 years of age with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) risk developing significant glomerular proteinuria, a condition called cyanotic nephropathy. Even though the pathogenesis of glomerulopathy associated with CCHD is still unclear, a potential mechanism is hyperviscosity-induced decrease in peritubular capillary blood flow leading to an increase in glomerular capillary pressure, in turn resulting in proteinuria. Although angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors have been traditionally used in the treatment of these patients with cyanotic nephropathy, they may, however, not be well tolerated.