Key Points

• Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is increased pressure in the pulmonary arteries. These arteries carry blood from your heart to your lungs to pick up oxygen.
• Three types of changes can affect the pulmonary arteries and can cause PH: the walls of the arteries tighten, the walls of the arteries are stiff at birth or become stiff from an overgrowth of cells, or blood clots form in the arteries.
• These changes make it hard for the heart to push blood through the arteries and into the lungs. Thus, the pressure in the arteries rises. Also, as a result of the heart working harder, the right ventricle becomes strained and weak.
• The heart may become so weak that it can't pump enough blood to the lungs. This causes heart failure. Heart failure is the most common cause of death in people who have PH.
• PH is divided into five groups based on its causes. In all groups, the average pressure in the pulmonary artery is higher than 25 mmHg at rest or 30 mmHg during physical activity. The pressure in a normal pulmonary artery is about 15 mmHg at rest.
• Usually, other diseases or conditions, such as heart and lung diseases or blood clots, cause PH. Some people inherit the condition. In some cases, the cause isn't known.
• The exact number of people who have PH isn't known. Group 1 pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) without a known cause is rare. PH that occurs with another disease or condition is more common.
• PH causes symptoms such as shortness of breath during routine activity (for example, climbing two flights of stairs), tiredness, chest pain, and a racing heartbeat. As the disease worsens, its symptoms may limit all physical activity.
• Your doctor will diagnose PH based on your medical and family histories, a physical exam, and the results from tests and procedures. PH can develop slowly. In fact, you may have it for years and not know it. This is because the disease has no early symptoms. When symptoms do develop, they're often like those of other heart and lung conditions, such as asthma. This makes PH hard to diagnose.
• PH has no cure, but treatments may help relieve symptoms and slow the progress of the disease. PH is treated with medicines, procedures, and other therapies. Treatment will depend on what type of PH you have and how severe it is. The earlier PH is treated, the easier it is to control.
• You can work with your doctor to manage your symptoms and slow the progress of PH. Get ongoing care. Follow your treatment plan and call your doctor if your symptoms worsen or change. Make lifestyle changes, such as eating healthy, quitting smoking, and doing regular physical activity.
• Research on new treatments for PH is ongoing. These treatments offer hope for the future. Talk to your doctor about whether you should consider participating in research studies.