Pulmonary hypertension
What is pulmonary hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension is a condition where the blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries (the vessels which carry blood from the heart to the lungs) is higher than normal. This puts a strain on the right side of the heart, which has to work harder to pump the blood through.
What causes it?
In a number of cases the cause is unknown (called idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension). In other cases it may be associated with another disease such as chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD: a long-term condition usually caused by smoking), certain congenital (present from birth) heart defects, HIV infection, or blood clots in the lungs.
Pulmonary hypertension has also been found to be associated with some drugs such as certain appetite suppressants and methamphetamine.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms may include breathlessness, tiredness, fainting and chest pain. To begin with, the symptoms often only occur with exercise, but later they may also occur at rest.
How is it diagnosed?
If your doctor suspects that you may have pulmonary hypertension, they will usually refer you to a centre specialising in this disease for further investigation.
The most important test for the diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension is right heart catheterisation. This involves threading a fine tube up through one of the blood vessels to the heart, so that the pressure in the pulmonary arteries can be measured.
Other tests may be required to look for associated diseases. For example, lung function tests and scans of the lungs and blood vessels may be performed to look for underlying lung disease, or oxygen levels in the blood may be monitored overnight to test for sleep-disordered breathing.
How is it treated?
The treatment will vary depending on the cause of the pulmonary hypertension. A number of new medications have recently become available so that there are now greater options for the treatment of this disease.
Medications may include an anti-coagulant (to thin the blood so it flows more easily and is less likely to clot); a diuretic (to remove excess fluid and so reduce the work of the heart); and a vasodilator (to relax the blood vessels and so lower the blood pressure).
Some patients may also require oxygen therapy if their breathing gets worse. In very severe cases, if medical treatments are not working, a lung transplant may be considered.
Last Reviewed: 05 May 2006
Sponsored links
