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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A Chinese randomized trial found that adding pulmonary-artery denervation to standard medical therapy nearly halved the 2-year rate of clinical worsening in patients with pulmonary hypertension linked to heart failure. The results, presented at ESC 2026 and published in the NEJM, are encouraging — but experts caution that the open-label design and lack of a sham control limit firm conclusions. A larger international trial is underway to confirm the findings.
A Chinese randomized trial called PADN-HF-PH found that pulmonary-artery denervation (PADN) — a procedure that interrupts sympathetic nerves around the pulmonary artery — significantly reduced clinical worsening when added to guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease and heart failure. The results were presented at the ESC Congress in Munich and simultaneously published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The procedure was technically successful in all treated patients, with minimal discomfort reported. Acute improvements in pulmonary vascular resistance, pulmonary-artery wedge pressure, and cardiac output were also observed, suggesting a meaningful physiological effect.
Despite the promising signal, experts urge caution. ESC discussant Felix Mahfoud, MD, highlighted that the open-label design — without a sham control — is a key limitation, as invasive placebos are known to influence patient behavior, medication adherence, and outcomes like 6-minute walk distance.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: Pulmonary hypertension tied to heart failure carries a poor prognosis with limited treatment options. If confirmed by the ongoing international sham-controlled PULSE-LHD trial, pulmonary-artery denervation could become a meaningful addition to the therapeutic toolkit for this high-risk population.
