Pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is caused by changes tothe pulmonary arteries, which are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs.
The walls of your pulmonary arteries can become stiff and thickened, or the blood vessels may get blocked by Air embolism . This makes it difficult for your heart to pump blood through these arteries, increasing pressure inside them andleading to pulmonary hypertension.
There can be many different reasons for the changes to your arteries. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified pulmonary hypertension into five different types, depending on the underlying cause. They are:
These are described below.
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is caused by problems with the smaller branches of the pulmonary arteries. In PAH, these changes are usually the main problem, rather than another condition.
As the pulmonary arteries are directly affected, they can be treated immediately, whereas in other types ofpulmonary hypertension,the underlying cause must betreated first.
PAH can befurther divided into specific subtypes, which are describedbelow.
Idiopathic means that the cause is unknown. If tests cannot find an underlying reason for your condition, you may be diagnosed with idiopathic PAH. This is an extremely rare condition, only affectingaround two people in every million each year.
Some cases of PAH run in families.A particular genetic mutation (a change in one of the genes you inherit from your parents) issometimes thought tocause PAH. There may be a family history of the conditionin up to10% ofidiopathic PAHcases.
Other conditions or treatments associated with PAH include:
PAH can also be associated with rare conditions that affect your blood vessels, such as:
It isestimated that persistentpulmonary hypertension of the newborn affects around2 in every 1,000 newborn babies.
Conditions that may also be associated with persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn include:
Pulmonary hypertension is sometimes associated with diseases that affect the left side of the heart (the side thatpumps blood around the whole body, apart from the lungs). The left side of the heart consists of:
Asblood flows throughthe pulmonary arteries to the lungs and then to the left side of the heart, any problem could have a backwards effect on this circuit and affect the pulmonary arteries. This in turn could cause pulmonary hypertension.
Up to60% ofpeople with a condition that causes severe left ventricle dysfunction have pulmonary hypertension. Almost all people with a severe mitral valve condition, and nearly two-thirds of those with a severe aortic valve condition, have pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension is also sometimes associated with lung diseases or hypoxia (a shortage of oxygen in the body). This includes:
These types of conditions can restrict the amount of oxygen able to get into yourlungs and enter your blood. A low level of oxygen in the blood causes the pulmonary arteries to constrict (get narrower). As these vessels are narrower, the blood is squeezed into a smaller space, which increases the blood pressure and results in pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension issometimes the result of a blood clot that causes narrowing or a blockagein the pulmonary arteries or veins.
A blood clot that blocks one of the blood vessels that supply your lungs is known as a pulmonary embolism .
Other, less common, causes of pulmonary hypertension include:
Pulmonary hypertension is raised blood pressure within the pulmonary arteries, which are the blood vessels that supply the lungs.
Pulmonary hypertension is a potentially serious health condition that can lead to heart failure.
Pulmonary hypertension is caused by changes to the pulmonary arteries, which are the blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs.
Pulmonary hypertension can be difficult to diagnose, because the symptoms are often similar to other conditions that affect the heart or lungs.
If you have pulmonary hypertension that is caused by another underlying condition, your treatment will focus on tackling it.