Hypertension

By Trailbalzer on Dec 19, 2008 | Reply

Cause of PAH

Collagen vascular disease
Congenital heart disease
Portal hypertension
Human immunodeficiency virus
Left ventricular diastolic dysfunction
Mitral valve disease
Mediastinal fibrosis
Chronic obstructive lung disease
Obstructive sleep apnea
Pulmonary fibrosis
Interstitial pneumonitis
Pulmonary thromboembolic disease Spiral CT, Sarcoidosis

If all these causes have been ruled out
then it is called Primry pulmonry hypertension

several pathobiologic processes that result in pulmonary arterial hypertension :These include inhibition of the voltage-regulated potassium channel producing vasoconstriction of the pulmonary artery smooth-muscle cells, reduced expression of nitric oxide synthase in the endothelium of the pulmonary arterial bed, increased expression of endothelin and basic fibroblast growth factor, and thrombin deposition related to a procoagulant stat

OUTCOME IS POOR
research is slow

By lalaland...123 on Dec 21, 2008 | Reply

pulmonary hypertension is merely the side effect of an underlying problem. doctors could try addressing the pulmonary hypertension problem, but if nobody pays attention to the underlying cause, then your sister will remain in that state.

here i believe is one good explanation as to why pulmonary hypertension occurs.

when a person has a lung problem, the blood vessels in their lungs constrict (narrows) therefore the blood being pumped by the right heart — creates a back pressure. think of yourself as a water pump for example. you are pumping water through a tube with let’s say 2 cm diameter… try pumping water through a 1cm diameter — it’s harder isn’t it? and most of the fluids stay in that tubing — being pumped back and forth — creating a “back pressure” and this results in an increased blood pressure in the pulmonary artery — thus results in pulmonary hypertension.

one of the most common cases wherein pulmonary hypertension would occur is among patients with pulmonary edema — if your sister had this condition, wherein there is excess fluids in her blood, then a diuretic therapy would be advisable.

but if your sister has a lung problem wherein her blood vessels constricts (common case among patients with emphysema) then the doctors would need to address that underlying lung problem. she may be put to a mechanical ventilator so that her breathing will normalize and hopefully everything will be back to normal. otherwise, if the pressure keeps going up — then there is a risk of right heart failure.

to sum it all up — pulmonary hypertension is not a disease, but merely the side effect of an underlying problem which needs to address as soon as possible.

By sis_ter_di on Dec 24, 2008 | Reply

First of all, the responder above me is correct only in the case of secondary PAH. In the case of Primary PAH, there is no underlying cause that can be treated to relieve the condition.

I have secondary pulmonary hypertension. The condition that cause mine is called sarcoidosis. I also take silfenadil and am on oxygen therapy. My sarcoidosis is in remission right now, but that won’t change the fact that I will always have PAH.

What I have been told is that the only “cure” for this is a heart/lung transplant. The transplants are done together because PAH causes heart failure, for one, and the transplants are more successful when done together.

For more information, please check out the links below. Good luck to you and your sister.