Extract
In 1988, Henri Denolin stated that the “pulmonary circulation is a kind of no-man's land between pulmonology and cardiology for everyone except physiologists”. In the years thereafter, the pulmonary field took over from the physiologist, expanding both our knowledge on the pulmonary circulation and the pathobiology of the different diseases affecting the pulmonary circulation. Novel clinical diagnostic tools made it possible to identify abnormal pulmonary circulatory conditions in a noninvasive way. Results from many studies showed that the pulmonary circulation is affected in almost all the currently known respiratory diseases and that the presence of pulmonary hypertension in any respiratory disease is associated with a poor outcome. The cause of death is inevitably the failing right ventricle. In addition, we came to recognise that pulmonary embolism and pulmonary arterial hypertension are far more frequent than had been assumed in the old days. The formation of centres of expertise in Europe was the next step leading to success. Scientific breakthroughs in these centres of expertise paved the way for the development of successful novel treatment. 30 years after the statement of Henri Denolin the European Respiratory Society (ERS) decided to create Assembly 13, entirely devoted to the pulmonary circulation, acknowledging the importance of the pulmonary circulation in respiratory diseases and the progress made in the field.
Abstract
Meet @ERStalk Assembly 13: pulmonary vascular diseases http://ow.ly/9t2430n2MhU
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: A. Vonk Noordegraaf received speakers’ money from Actelion, MSD, Pfizer, Bayer and GSK in the past 10 years. In addition, he served as a member of the scientific advisory board of Morphogen-XI.
Conflict of interest: M. Delcroix reports research grants and personal fees (investigator, speaker and consultant fees) from Actelion, personal fees (investigator, speaker and consultant fees) from Bayer, personal fees (investigator, speaker and consultant fees) from GSK, personal fees (speaker and consultant fees) from MSD, personal fees (investigator fees) from Reata, personal fees (investigator and consultant fees) from Bellarophon, personal fees (investigator fees) from Eli Lilly, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: D. Jimenez reports personal fees from Bayer, BMS, Pfizer, Rovi and Sanofi, and grants and personal fees from Daiichi-Sankyo, outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: O. Sitbon reports grants, personal fees and non-financial support from Actelion Pharmaceuticals, GSK and MSD (research and educational grants, and investigator, speaker's fees and consultancy services), grants and personal fees from Bayer (research and educational grants, and investigator, speaker's fees and consultancy services), and personal fees from Arena Pharmaceuticals (consultancy services), outside the submitted work.
Conflict of interest: H.J. Bogaard has nothing to disclose.
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