Department of Pulmonary Hypertension and Heart Diseases

The mainstream of research:

• development of new algorithms of diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) of various etiologies and severity;

• expert work in cooperation with regional centers on PH

• registration of newly diagnosed PAH and CTEPH patients in the National registry of PH

• long-term follow-up, including remote, for patients with coronary heart disease (CHD);

• participation in Russian and International clinical trials

The Department of Pulmonary Hypertension and Heart Diseases on the clinical basis of the 2nd clinical department of the Institute of Cardiology named after A.L. Myasnikov provides assistance to patients with cardiovascular diseases complicated by pulmonary hypertension (PH).

The scientific and clinical work is aimed at studying of PH of various etiologies and severity. PH, a severe pathology of the cardiovascular system, the syndrome of high pressure in pulmonary arteries, develops due to left ventricular dysfunction (CHD, arterial hypertension, cardiomyopathy), heart diseases (acquired and congenital heart defects), recurrent pulmonary embolism, lung diseases, connective tissue disease and even some infectious diseases. The Department has accumulated an extensive experience in the management of patients with rare forms of pathology - idiopathic PH, which is associated with the primary lesions of pulmonary vessels, and chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH) with obstructive thrombotic lesions of pulmonary arteries. The clinical manifestation of PH is associated with the appearance and progression dyspnea on exertion, decreased exercise tolerance. A wide spectrum of cardiovascular and lung diseases might manifest with this symptoms, a variety of PH causes requires a highly skilled expertise to make up a differential diagnosis. Making an accurate and timely diagnosis is the basis for effective treatment of these patients. High qualification and experience of research and clinical team of the Department ensures the highest standards of cardiac care for patients. The diagnostic and treatment process is carried out in strict accordance to the current Russian and international guidelines, in compliance with the highest standards of diagnosis and treatment strategies.Most researchers practice in close cooperation with world famous University clinics.

The Department has two Doctors of Medicine (MD), 5 Doctors of Philosophy (PhD), 4 doctors of the highest category. The Department has a functional diagnostics lab for examining patients directly in the Department (Echo, Holter monitoring, stress echocardiography, treadmill test, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 24-hour blood pressure monitoring).

To solve complex diagnostic problems in close cooperation with all diagnostic Departments of the Institute of Clinical Cardiology the most modern non-invasive (digital ECG, expert Echo, perfusion-ventilation scintigraphy, contrast CT angiography of pulmonary artery, digital spirometry, blood gas analysis, cardiopulmonary exercise testing) and invasive methods are used (right heart catheterization, selective pulmonary angiography, coronary angiography). The Department functions as an expert center for patients with PH, which provides methodological support and coordination of regional expert centers on the problem of PH, regularly organize practical schools, training seminars and thematic conferences. The stuff of the Department is involved in the creation of the National registry of patients with PH (www. medibase.pro), coordinate the network of regional centers, that allows to monitor the patients since the time of diagnosis verification and to maintain a high quality of care.

The Department carries out intensive scientific work in various areas of diagnosis and treatment of PH, conducts clinical trials of new drugs of specific therapy. High qualification of researchers, corresponding to the international standards of GСP, as well as the authority of the Center of Cardiology allow to participate in the most key international clinical trials of promising specific drugs. The research team of the Department provides daily telemedicine consultations for patients with PH from all regions of the Russian Federation.

The scientific group of the Department is involved in developing and updating Russian and Eurasian clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of PH and CTEPH, and the development of National standards of medical care for this type of patients as well. A powerful experience in the management of patients with PH is summarized in a number of medical papers and monographs on the problem of PH. Investigation of long-term CAD course after coronary stenting is among scientific themes of the Department. To date, the long-term prognosis has been analyzed for more than 5000 patients who underwent coronary stenting. The main prognostic factors associated with the occurrence of restenosis and the progression of coronary atherosclerosis have been studied, and the timing of the most frequent occurrence of these events has been established. A method of long-term follow-up of patients who underwent coronary stenting is being developed, which makes it possible to use telemedicine technologies to monitor patients living in remote regions.

Researchers of the Department participate in the analysis of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular diseases in the regions of the Russian Federation. Based on the data obtained, measures are being developed to improve medical care for patients with cardiovascular diseases in the regions of Russia.