PH News

Visiting family or friends out of town is one of the joys of the holiday season. If you’re living with pulmonary hypertension, travelling may take a bit more planning, but with the right preparation, it can still be safe, comfortable, and enjoyable. A little foresight can go a long way toward helping you focus on what really matters: spending time with the people you love. Before you head out, here are some important things to keep in mind: Nutrition:  Finding lower-sodium op

December 5th is International Volunteer Day , we pause to celebrate the incredible people who are the heartbeat of our community: our volunteers . Whether you're living with pulmonary hypertension (PH), supporting a loved one, or simply passionate about making a difference—your dedication, time, and compassion are what make PHA Canada’s work possible. From running support groups and organizing local events, to serving on committees and sharing your lived experience, every act

For the past two days, PHA Canada Board member Beth Slaunwhite and I were in Ottawa enjoying the Canadian Organization for Rare Disorders (CORD) conference "Co-Creating Canadian Rare". Pulmonary arterial hypertension and CTEPH are, of course, rare diseases, but there are so many others. Individually, each disease or disorder is rare, but collectively they're quite common: somewhere between one in ten and one in twelve Canadians has a rare disease. The first day dealt largely

One way PHA Canada helps improve the diagnosis and management of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is by reaching out and collaborating with healthcare professionals (HCPs). HCPs play a key role in ensuring that PH is recognized and investigated promptly, so patients receive the appropriate care and treatment, regardless of the type of PH they have.   PHA Canada has built strong, long-term relationships with PH expert centres across Canada. These centres mainly treat people with Gr

On Saturday, October 25th, I attended the Scleroderma Association of BC’s 2025 AGM and conference. For those unfamiliar - like myself a few weeks ago - scleroderma and pulmonary hypertension have a very interesting relationship, which is why PHA Canada usually has a booth set up at this annual meeting. Scleroderma is an autoimmune disease that causes hardening and/or thickening of the skin and internal organs. Sound familiar? That’s because scleroderma patients are at risk of

“I definitely believe there’s significant value in the right heart cath at diagnosis. It’s known to be the gold standard for diagnosing pulmonary hypertension, providing the most accurate measurement of pulmonary artery pressures to determine if a patient has pulmonary hypertension.”
-- Nicole Dempsey For people living with pulmonary hypertension, right heart catheterizations are a necessary chapter in everyone's individual story. What do patients value about right heart cat

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to heart failure -- Group 2 PH -- has, until now, been treated by treating the underlying heart failure. However, a recent Phase 2 clinical trial, called CADENCE, tried treating PH due to heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) with sotatercept. Phase 2 trials are small trials which look at the safety of a drug and at whether it seems to work. Full data have not been published yet, but CADENCE successfully met its primary endpoin

November is Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month, but did you know that it’s also Financial Literacy Month  in Canada? The Financial Consumer Agency of Canada  – set up to protect consumers of financial products and services – is encouraging everyone to “Talk Money” this month. They’re hoping to help break down the stigma around financial discussions. PHA Canada has resources to help with financial literacy and financial assistance, too: Finance and PH resource list , detai

In April 2016, I found a lump on my leg, and like most adults, I ignored it for a couple of weeks. After seeing doctors, I did 6 weeks of oral antibiotics, 6 days of IV antibiotics, and 2 biopsies. They decided I needed to see a dermatologist. By the time I saw a dermatologist, the lump was gone, but he had an idea of what might have caused it, so he sent me for a chest X-ray. The X-ray showed an enlarged pulmonary trunk, and he sent me to a Cardiologist. The Cardiologist ord

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)  is a life-altering condition—but far too often, it remains underdiagnosed, misunderstood, and mismanaged. In a new episode of the eXpand  podcast by Respiplus  (Season 6), our Executive Director, Jamie Myrah , joins host Dr. Jean Bourbeau  to explore the complexities of PAH and its impact on patients across Canada. With nearly a decade of leadership at PHA Canada, Jamie brings the front-line perspective of patients, families, and care te

Through the Respite for All Pilot Project, led by SE Health and Greenshield Cares, caregivers across Canada who are working at least 30 hours per week can apply for 10 hours of free, home-based respite care. For this pilot program, respite care includes personal support care, help with activities of daily living, light home support, and companionship, but not clinical or regulated health services (nursing, providing injections, managing medical equipment, etc.) The pilot runs

Alberta has launched Lung Health Check, a new program using vans to bring pulmonary function tests to rural, remote, and Indigenous communities in Alberta. Patients won't need to travel long distances for pulmonary function tests -- the vans will bring the tests to them. This will save patients money as well as time, and will make ongoing pulmonary function monitoring easier. Patients can be as young as five years old, but the vans are not wheelchair-accessible so they must b

As we know, pulmonary arterial hypertension patients' lungs don't make enough nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator. But what if patients were given infusions of cells that were altered to produce blood vessel lining cells that would produce more nitric oxide in the lungs? Would it be a safe and effective treatment? The SAPPHIRE trial intended to find out. Participants randomly received either a placebo or an infusion of cells once a month for four months for a total of 80 mil

“This article captures the history and excellence of Canadian contributions to the field of pulmonary hypertension” Published in the Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine  in October 2025, the comprehensive paper History of Respiratory Medicine in Canada: Pulmonary hypertension  was clearly a labour of love. Authors Dr. Sanjay Mehta and Dr. Namisha Singh, with contributions from Jamie Myrah and Dr. Robert D. Levy, took two years to write it. Settl

When it comes to rare diseases, Canada’s healthcare and research systems weren’t built to keep up. That’s where the Canadian Rare Disease Network (CRDN)  steps in—a new initiative working to change the rare disease journey for millions across the country. With over 7,000 known rare diseases affecting more than 3 million people in Canada, patients and families often face long diagnostic delays, limited treatment options, and fragmented care. CRDN was launched in 2024 to connec

Kate Salonga represents PHA Canada at the 2025 PH Professional Network Symposium hosted by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (US)....

This week, Statistics Canada released the results of their crowdsourced study on the lived experiences of Canadians (and their families...

On September 30, Canadians pause to mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation , a time to honour the children, families, and...

At PHA Canada, we’re committed to providing clear, accessible resources to help patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals better...

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association of Canada (PHA Canada) is proud to announce a new partnership with Vision Quest Communications...

Yesterday, Colin Van De Wetering, a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Certified Respiratory Educator, joined our Monthly Meet-Up to...

For years, PHA Canada has been working to ensure that the drug approval process in Canada meets the needs of our pulmonary hypertension...

The Pulmonary Hypertension Global Patient Survey  (PHGPS), the largest survey to date to explore the perspectives of patients with PH at...

Here are a few things that the Canadian PHriends Facebook group members found make their lives easier. Around the house Air conditioning...

Applications for the Canada Disability Benefit (CDB) open this week. If you're eligible for the Disability Tax Credit and you (and your...

On a beautiful June day filled with sunshine and warmth, our community gathered for a special fundraiser in honour of Andrew Barfoot....

What it is Yutrepia is a new drug: an inhaled form of treprostinil, a prostacyclin analogue. It was just approved by the Food and Drug...

The ZENITH study looked at some of the sickest pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients—those labelled as functional class 3...

"A person's mental health significantly influences how they experience pain and suffering associated with chronic disease. It's essential...

We asked Liss Cairns, Program Manager at Plan Institute, some questions about the Disability Tax Credit and the new Canada Disability...

Living with a rare disease can feel like walking an unmarked path—isolated, uncertain, and overlooked. For those with pulmonary arterial...

The 2025 BC Medication Coverage Report  is here—and it reveals serious gaps in access to life-saving medications across the province....

There has been significant progress in making sotatercept available to those who need it. Just two months after Health Canada approved it...

Tax season is upon us! The pulmonary hypertension community brought two tips to our attention. First, the usual disclaimer: we are not...

New Report Sheds Light on Pulmonary Hypertension in Canada Respiplus has just released a groundbreaking report, A Canadian Initiative:...

Many people know about Canada’s Disability Tax Credit, but did you know that there is also a non-refundable tax credit for caregivers? If...

"Imagine being told that a new treatment exists — one that could save your life or significantly improve it — but that you’ll have to...

The holiday season is the most critical fundraising period for charities, with many relying on year-end donations to sustain their work....

In an innovative new collaboration between Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) and the provincial and federal governments, millions of...

As of December 1, the Ontario government has improved reimbursement amounts for people in Northern Ontario who need to travel for...

A webinar hosted by the Pulmonary Hypertension Knowledge Sharing Platform this week talked about a couple of studies on mental health in...

💜 RDSP Awareness Month is almost over , but it’s not too late to learn about the benefits of a Registered Disability Savings Plan (RDSP)...

PHA Canada is proud to announce our latest submission to the Patented Medicines Pricing Review Board (PMPRB)  this September. As the...

Merck has announced that WINREVAIR® (sotatercept) is now authorized for use in Canada in combination with standard pulmonary arterial...

A new investigation, "A Canadian Initiative: Exploring Adult Pulmonary Hypertension," highlights critical issues such as diagnostic...

We are pleased to announce that sotatercept, a new drug for patients diagnosed with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is now listed...

This article originally appeared in The Hills Times on May 6, 2024 Have you ever tried to fix something without the right tool? If you...

Tune in to the latest episode of the PHaware podcast, where Dr. Jason Weatherald, a pulmonologist at the University of Alberta, delves...

A recent report sheds light on the critical need for British Columbia to bolster its Public Drug Coverage. Over the past five years, BC...

Board member Joan Paulin and PHA Canada Ambassador Jennifer Bryson attended the Rare Disease Summit hosted by the Canadian Organization...