Aortic intervention in pulmonary hypertension
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Aortic Intervention in the Management of Pulmonary Hypertension (AIM-PH)
IRAS ID
355511
Contact name
Colm McCabe
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Royal Brompton Hospital
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 30 days
Research summary
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is classified based on consensus opinion from the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension at Nice in 2023. Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) is a subtype of pulmonary hypertension associated with narrowing of pulmonary blood vessels leading to porgressive impairment of right heart function. Over time and despite currently available treatments, pressure build up within the right heart can impair filling of the left heart leading to lower systemic blood pressure which predisposes to blackouts. This represents and advanced stage of the condition.
The principle hypothesis of this project is that inflation of a balloon within the aorta (main blood vessel leaving the left heart) will improve the pressure difference between right and left heart and lead to imporvement in lung blood flow. It may also have the effect of increasing blood flow down the coronary arteries which may be favourable in pulmonary hypertension patients where heart muscle can be low in oxygen level.
At cardiac catheterisation, our protocol will measure lung blood flow in response to varying degrees of balloon inflation in the aorta which will intentionally reverse the pressure difference across the left and right heart. We will measure detailed parameters of cardiac function during the procedure to establish safe levels of balloon inflation and potential benefits on the right heart.
REC name
Wales REC 2
REC reference
25/WA/0225
Date of REC Opinion
15 Sep 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion