Dual PH-Targeted Therapy Reduces BPA Complications, Improves Outcomes in CTEPH

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive condition marked by persistent pulmonary vascular obstruction that leads to elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and right heart failure [1, 2]. While pulmonary endarterectomy remains the standard of care for surgically accessible disease, many patients are inoperable or have persistent pulmonary hypertension post-surgery [3, 4]. For these individuals, balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA) has become an effective percutaneous treatment, improving both hemodynamics and functional capacity [5, 6, 7]. However, BPA carries risks of periprocedural complications like pulmonary hemorrhage and reperfusion injury [8, 6]. Pulmonary hypertension (PH)-targeted medical therapies are often used to manage CTEPH, sometimes before BPA, to improve outcomes and mitigate procedural risks [9, 10, 11]. A recent analysis of a national registry now provides new data on how different medical pretreatment strategies influence the safety and efficacy of BPA.