The impact and financial burden of pulmonary arterial hypertension on patients and caregivers: results from a national survey.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a chronic progressive devastating disease. Symptom burden might impair health-related quality of life of patients. Furthermore, treatment on this disease brings significant financial burden to patients' families.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased bleeding in pulmonary embolism receiving conventional anticoagulant therapy: findings from a "real-world" study.

Bleeding refers to the most important complication during anticoagulation therapy in patients with pulmonary embolism (PE). However, the incidence and risk factors of bleeding in Chinese population with anticoagulant therapy remains unknown. Although diabetes mellitus (DM) has been demonstrated to increase the risk of PE, little information of its influence on anticoagulation-associated bleeding risk can be available.

Pleural effusions as a predictive parameter for poor prognosis for patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism.

The incidence, characteristics of pleural effusions due to pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE) have been reported previously. However, the impact of pleural effusions on the prognosis of acute PTE patients and the involved influencing factors remain unclear. A total of 518 consecutive PTE patients were enrolled in Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital from January 2009 to April 2014.

Identification of downstream target genes regulated by the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate signal pathway in pulmonary hypertension.

Objective: To investigate the downstream target genes regulated by the nitric oxide-soluble guanylate cyclase-cyclic guanosine monophosphate (NO-sGC-cGMP) signal pathway and their possible roles in the pathogenesis of pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods: Digital gene expression tag profiling was performed to identify genes that are differentially expressed after activation of the NO-sGC-cGMP signal pathway in human pulmonary artery smooth muscles cells using 8-bromo-cyclic guanosine monophosphate, BAY 41-2272 and BAY 60-2770. Results were confirmed using real-time polymerase chain reaction.

[Analysis of clinical relevant bleeding events in the elderly patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism after treatment].

Objective: To investigate the incidences of clinical relevant bleeding events and risk factors in elderly patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE).

Methods: Between January of 2009 and December of 2013, a total of 539 initially diagnosed PTE patients were recruited in our study in Beijing Chao Yang hospital. Basic clinical characteristics, medical history, imaging results, laboratory tests, therapy and outcomes (including mortality, recurrence and incidences of bleeding events) were collected during 3 months' follow-up.

Hypertension associated with venous thromboembolism in patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and the occurrence of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in patients with lung cancer that might help estimate an individual's risk for VTE. A total of 632 unselected patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer were investigated for VTE within the three months prior to recruitment, and their major CVD risk factors were assessed at the baseline examination. Eighty-six of the 632 (13.

Serum Bilirubin and 6-min Walk Distance as Prognostic Predictors for Inoperable Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Inoperable chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a severe clinical syndrome characterized by right cardiac failure and possibly subsequent liver dysfunction. However, whether serum markers of liver dysfunction can predict prognosis in inoperable CTEPH patients has not been determined. Our study aimed to evaluate the potential role of liver function markers (such as serum levels of transaminase, bilirubin, and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase [GGT]) combined with 6-min walk test in the prediction of prognosis in patients with inoperable CTEPH.

Pulmonary embolism risk stratification by European Society of Cardiology is associated with recurrent venous thromboembolism: Findings from a long-term follow-up study.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) recurrence carries significant mortality and morbidity. Accurate risk assessment and effective treatment for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is important for VTE recurrence prevention. We examined the association of VTE recurrence with risk stratification and PE treatment.

Long-term treatment with low-molecular-weight heparin prolonged the survival time for acute pulmonary embolism patients concurrent with malignancy: an observational analysis from a long-term follow-up study.

Background: As a special group in pulmonary embolism (PE), the baseline characteristics, better therapeutic strategy and prognosis of patients with concurrent malignancy need to be investigated. Long-term low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) is recommended for these patients, however, whether therapeutic strategy affects long-term prognosis remains unclear.

Methods: In this prospective study, acute symptomatic PE patients confirmed by imaging examinations, with/without malignancy, were enrolled and followed.