PHA News
In This Issue
Introducing PHodcasts
PHA Awards Over 170 Conference Scholarships
PH in the News
Upcoming BME Event
Sharing and Support in Silver Spring
REGISTER NOW!
PHA's 8th International PH Conference & Scientific Sessions
 
June 20-22, 2008
Houston, Texas
Join Our E-News Lists
Join our other e-news lists
  • Advocacy Action Alerts
  • Advances in PH medical journal
  • Legacy E-Newsletter
  • Mid-Atlantic PHA Volunteers (MD, VA, DC)

Not already a PHANews subscriber? Subscribe today!

Join Our E-News Lists

Quick Links
Donate Now
 
Sustainers Circle - Monthly Gift
Upcoming Events
 
PHA's 8th International PH Conference & Scientific Sessions
June 20-22, 2008
Houston, Texas
 
PHA Poker Run
June 21, 2008
Indiana County, Penn.
 
1st Annual Wojo Golf Classic
July 21, 2008
Southern California
 
6th Annual JFK Tower Golf Tournament
July 21, 2008
White Plains, N.Y.
 
5th Annual Michigan Cure PH Golf Tournament
August 2, 2008
Pinckney, Mich.
 
Celebration of Life Party
August 9, 2008
Thornton, Colo.
 
Minnesota Support Group Picnic
August 9, 2008
Maplewood, Minn.
 
2008 Minnesota PHun Walk for a Cure
August 16, 2008
Andover, Minn.
Vol 9/Number 12 June 9, 2008
PHA logoPHANews Editor - Sally Maddox
skmaddox@bellsouth.net
Contributing Editors - PHA staff
 
reaching over 6500 subscribers
www.PHAssociation.org
 
The next issue of PHANews will be on June 27.

Pre-registration ends Tuesday, June 10!

 
PHA's 2008 Conference begins next week! Please join us and nearly 1000 of our PHriends who have already registered for Conference. We don't want you to miss out on the world's largest gathering of PH patients, caregivers and PH-treating medical professionals.
 
On-site registrations will be accepted. 
INTRODUCING PHODCASTS -- BI-WEEKLY PH COMMUNITY WEBISODES
Ask Your Questions of Dr. Robyn Barst, the first guest on the show
 
PHA is working with Periwinkle Films to try out a new opportunity for the PH community to interact and learn from each other. The bi-weekly PHodcasts will be talk show-style prerecorded webisodes featuring interviews of PH experts in the field and stories from the community. Hosts Kirsten Larson, a PH patient, and her friend Elise Pensavalle, will ask guest experts pre-submitted questions from you, the PH community. Then they will share your stories about the daily ups and downs of living with PH.
 
The first webisode with guest Dr. Robyn Barst will be filmed at PHA's Conference next week and will air on PHA's website in July. Dr. Barst has had a long and distinguished career as a clinician investigator caring for PH patients, with a particular focus on pediatric patients. She was one of the original investigators for the first National Registry of Pulmonary Hypertension and served as principal investigator for the pivotal study which proved the effectiveness of epopoprostenol (Flolan) for the treatment of PH. Dr. Barst is a member of PHA's Scientific Leadership Council, where she served as chair from 2004 to 2006.
 
So let's hear it -- what do you want to ask Dr. Barst? We'd also love to hear your comments, suggestions and questions about this new experimental venture. Submit questions for Dr. Barst or your comments on PHodcast to PHodcast@PHAssociation.org.
PHA AWARDS OVER 170 CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIPS
Thanks to our generous donors PHA has been able to award over $160,000 in scholarship funds to more than 170 PH patients. This is an enormous increase over the scholarship program for the 2006 Conference, when PHA awarded $100,000 to more than 120 recipients.
 
PHA and the Conference Scholarship Committee are thrilled to be able to help so many patients and their family members attend the 2008 Conference. For over 60% of the 2008 scholarship recipients, this will be their first PHA Conference.
PH IN THE NEWS
Deficiency of the NHE1 Gene Prevents Hypoxia-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension and Vascular Remodeling
(redOrbit) -- Rationale: Our previous studies found that Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) activity played an essential role in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) proliferation and in the development of hypoxia- induced pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling. Other investigators recently observed increased expression of the NHE isoform 1 (NHE1) gene in rodents with pulmonary hypertension induced by hypoxia. However, a causal role for the NHE1 gene in pulmonary hypertension has not been determined. Objectives: To determine the causal role of the NHE1 gene in pulmonary hypertension and vascular remodeling. Read story
 
Life is a Gift for Melissa
(Northern Daily Reader) -- Melissa Townsend is certain that without the pair of lungs she was gifted with nearly three years ago she would be dead. The former Armidale woman - who now lives in Tamworth - was diagnosed with primary pulmonary hypertension in February, 2005.
Read story
Medical ProfessionalsUPCOMING BUILDING MEDICAL EDUCATION IN PH EVENT
3rd Annual Symposium in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
 
July 18, 2008
Rhode Island Hospital
Newport, R.I.
 
This half day update is designed for physicians, fellows, residents, physician assistants, nurses and members of the pulmonary hypertension community. It offers the opportunity to consolidate current knowledge and avenues of investigation that will lead to the education of all participants, exploration of new areas of inquiry, and critical analysis of the state of knowledge in this evolving field. The course is structured with state-of-the-art lectures delivered by recognized experts from North America.
 
Contact Gail Varcelotti at 412-3701-749 or varcelotti@yahoo.com.
 
This event is part of the Building Medical Education in PH program. To partner with PHA in promoting your next CME event please contact Jennifer Carman, PHA's Meetings Planning Associate, at 301-565-3004 x763 or Jennifer@PHAssociation.org.
SHARING & SUPPORT IN SILVER SPRING
The June Silver Spring (Md.) Support Group meeting brought together five PH patients and their families and "PHriends." The group meets the first Monday every even number month at PHA's headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

PHA President Rino Aldrighetti gave a brief update and news report with a national perspective. Patients like Carol, Conchita and Emily shared stories about their diagnosis and others like Teresia asked how she could get involved in raising awareness.
 
As a result of this meeting, the group plans to approach PHA staff member Nathan Barker for a presentation and workshop on how to raise media awareness from their newspaper to TV news and beyond! (Learn more by contacting Nathan at awareness@PHAssociation.org.)
 
Leader Phil LeGrande thanked the meeting's sponsor, United Therapeutics, as well as PHA staff members for helping to organize the meeting logistics.
 
Want to share stories and reports from your Support Group? Contact Diane at web@PHAssociation.org or 301-565-3004 x759.