A novel screening approach developed by physicians at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University shows significant promise for improving the detection of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)—a life-threatening form of heart failure related to high blood pressure in the lung circulation that is often overlooked due to vague symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.

The new research, published online April 5 in the American Heart Journal, shows that the virtual echocardiography screening tool (VEST), when incorporated into the electronic medical record (EMR) system, can generate accurate PAH risk scores—without the need for time-consuming manual calculations. The approach is the first of its kind in the field of pulmonary vascular medicine.

A groundbreaking new study conducted by researchers from Reichman University and other Israeli  institutions explored the psychological aftermath of the deadly terrorist attack at the Nova Festival in southern Israel. The attack, which took place on October 7, 2023, claimed the lives of nearly 400 people and left hundreds more physically and psychologically wounded. Three weeks after the massacre, the researchers administered in-person psychological questionnaires to 343 survivors aged 18–64, examining the participants’ mental state, the psychoactive substances they consumed before and during the festival, and the ways those substances may have affected their physical and psychological response to trauma.