Pediatric Grand Rounds (CME): Sex and PAH: Exploring Susceptibility to Develop Novel Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Approaches

Session Description:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), is a devastating disease of the pulmonary vascular bed which is typically progressive and fatal. A major risk factor is female sex, with female diagnoses significantly outnumbering male diagnoses. Elevated circulating estrogen levels, and enhanced estrogen signaling, are a feature of PAH. Our evidence suggests that exuberant estrogen signaling causes a perturbation of molecular and systemic homeostasis in both sexes. However, not all PAH patients have elevated estrogens, and we don’t know the affinity of the pulmonary vascular bed for estrogens. In this session, we explore the contribution of sex, sex hormones, and associated factors in the pathogenesis of PAH, as well as their potential influence upon the development of novel PAH therapies.

Education goals for this session:

• To understand the sex discrepancy in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
• To understand the perturbations in various model systems, and humans, associated with sex hormone variation as relates to PAH
• To understand  the potential benefits, and risks, of estrogen antagonism, in humans with PAH
• To understand clinical and molecular features of PH

CME Credit

Accreditation

The Stanford University School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

The Stanford University School of Medicine designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM.  Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Cultural and Linguistic Competency

California Assembly Bill 1195 requires continuing medical education activities with patient care components to include curriculum in the subjects of cultural and linguistic competency.  The planners and speakers of this CME activity have been encouraged to address cultural issues relevant to their topic area. The Stanford University School of Medicine Multicultural Health Portal also contains many useful cultural and linguistic competency tools including culture guides, language access information and pertinent state and federal laws. You are encouraged to visit the portal: http://lane.stanford.edu/portals/cultural.html