What is Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease of high blood pressure in the lungs, which often makes people feel short of breath. PH is a complicated disease and there are many different types. Symptoms common to all types of pulmonary hypertension are: shortness of breath, especially with exertion (feeling out of shape without a reason for it), fatigue, lightheadedness, chest pressure, palpitations, and/or swelling in the legs or abdomen. Some people may have shortness of breath when lying flat.

Although you may have been told that you have PH based on an echocardiogram (heart ultrasound), CT scan, or even a chest x-ray, it is important to understand that PH has a very specific definition. Several tests (done in a systematic fashion),including a procedure called a right heart catheterization, are required to confirm a diagnosis of PH and determine which type you have.

The definition of PH is based on measurements and calculations from a right heart catheterization (CAUTION: These measurements can often be incorrectly measured and can be influenced by several factors and may need to be done by an expert/expert center) . The definition has recently changed considering new scientific data and expert consensus. Currently, PH is diagnosed when a person has a mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) on right heart catheterization of greater than 20 mmHg. This means that the blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries going from the right side of the heart into the lungs are elevated. 

The second part of the definition relates to why the blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries is high. One reason can be that the pulmonary arteries are stiff and narrowed (like a blocked pipe), which makes it harder for the blood to flow through (pulmonary vascular resistance > 2 Wood Units). Another reason may be that there is too much back-pressure from the left side of the heart into the pulmonary arteries (pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >15 mmHg). The definition of PH is the same for infants > 3 months old, children, and adults.

This section of the website will guide you through how PH is diagnosed and different treatments.