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(Circulation. 2002;106:e192.)
© 2002 American Heart Association, Inc.

Cardiology Patient Page

Pulmonary Hypertension

Jacques I. Benisty, MD, MPH

From the Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.

Correspondence to Jacques Benisty, MD, MPH, Children’s Hospital, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail jacques.benisty@tch.harvard.edu

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

Many people affected by pulmonary hypertension are able to lead productive and satisfying lives, in part because of advances in medical care and treatments. It is important that those affected by this illness keep themselves informed about the problem and understand the available treatments to improve their health and quality of life. They need to know that, without treatment, pulmonary hypertension can be a life-threatening illness (Figure).

View larger version (47K): [in this window] [in a new window]   A, Diagram of the heart and lungs. This illustration shows a normal heart and lung vessels. B, Diagram of an abnormal heart and lungs as would occur in pulmonary hypertension. Note the loss of vessels in the abnormal lungs and the thickening of the right heart to counteract the rise in pressure in the lung vessels.

What Is Pulmonary Hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension is an abnormal elevation of the pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. In fact, it could be called the "high blood pressure" of the lungs. In normal lungs, the pressure in the blood vessels is about one-quarter of the pressure in the arteries of the body and can temporarily adapt to increased pressures that occur during exercise. In pulmonary hypertension, the small arteries in the lungs are too narrow, so the pressure rises in these vessels. As a result, the right side of the heart, which pumps blood into the lungs, has to pump against a higher resistance to blood flow. This makes it more difficult to pump the blood through the lungs, particularly when increased flow is needed, as when . . . [Full Text of this Article]