Pulmonary Hypertension-The Other High Blood Pressure
Awareness Critical Element in Fighting Disease
PHOENIX (November 18, 2003) – Pulmonary hypertension (PH) simply defined is high blood pressure in the lungs. But the simplicity ends there. PH is a complex and elusive health problem that affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. While it shares the same terminology, it differs markedly from high blood pressure or regular hypertension.
"Pulmonary hypertension is a life-threatening disease with no known cure," Banner Good Samaritan pulmonologist David Baratz, M.D. said. "It's difficult to diagnose and treat but the earlier it's caught, the better the outcome. New treatments are showing positive results. That's why awareness is so important."
Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension include shortness of breath with minimal exertion, fatigue, chest pain, coughing, swollen ankles and legs, dizzy spells and fainting.
While PH can effect all people, women are more than twice as likely to develop PH, and they are usually stricken in their childbearing years.
Pulmonary hypertension is frequently misdiagnosed and often found at an advanced stage by the time it is accurately diagnosed. There are two basic types of pulmonary hypertension:
- Primary PH, which has no known cause
- Secondary PH, which is caused by other diseases including Collagen Vascular Disease (Scleroderma, Lupus) Congenital Heart Disease, chronic liver disease, HIV or use of diet drugs such as fenfluramine or dexfenfluramine.
PH begins when the blood vessels that supply blood to the lungs constrict or tighten, leading to increased pressure in the pulmonary artery (the blood vessel that leads from the heart to the lungs). The heart pumps harder to keep the blood flowing. Over time the blood vessels begin to scar, stiffen, and thicken. In same cases, they may become completely blocked. The heart compensates by pumping even harder, which can cause the heart to enlarge and lose flexibility.
"Historically, pulmonary hypertension is a chronic and incurable condition with a poor survival rate. However, if patients are treated with the newer therapies they have a much better prognosis," Baratz said.
Recent data indicate that PH patients are living longer, with some patients able to manage the disorder for 15 to 20 years or longer.
