Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension refers to a condition in which blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries is higher than normal. Pulmonary hypertension is a serious pathological condition, as it may damage the right side of the heart (1).

Pulmonary hypertension is classified into 5 groups, based on causes (2):

Group 1: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
Group 2: Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease
Group 3: Pulmonary hypertension associated with lung diseases and/or hypoxia
Group 4: Chronic thrombo-embolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)
Group 5: Pulmonary hypertension with unclear and/or multi-factorial mechanisms

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) may be idiopathic and/ or familial, it may be induced by drugs or toxin, or it may be associated with other diseases. In PAH, blood vessels in the lungs are narrowed, hence blood flow through the lungs slows down. Consequently, blood pressure in the lung arteries goes up. The heart must work harder to pump blood through the lungs. Without treatment, the extra effort eventually causes the heart muscle to become weak and fail (3).

The symptoms of pulmonary hypertension develop slowly. Patients may not notice symptoms for months or even years. Without treatment, symptoms get worse as the disease progresses. Patients with PAH may develop symptoms, such as shortness of breath, dizziness, fatigue, edema, chest pain, heart palpitations and cough (4).

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a rare disease. Prevalence is about 15 to 25 people out of every million (5). Diagnosis is performed by specialized physicians. Diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension may require examinations, such as right-heart catheterization, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram and chest X-ray (6). Physicians evaluate the condition of patients. Treatment decisions are made by specialized physicians.