November is the pulmonary hypertension awareness month.

Let’s spread the information together! Let the PHA become visible !!!

 7 Facts About Pulmonary Hypertension:

1. Women are at greater risk than men. PAH affects men and women of all ages and races. Women between the ages of 20 and 50 make up the majority of cases.

2. The first case of PAH was diagnosed in 1891. The first recorded diagnosis can be traced in Germany in 1891. Unfortunately, at the time treatment was very few and the patient underwent the disease.

3. The diagnosis of PAH can take several years. Patients affected by PAH often live years without a formal diagnosis. This is often due to the lack of recognition of the milder symptoms that occur and accompany physical activity.

4. The symptoms of PAH are revealed over time. This progressive disease starts with mild symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain and fainting, usually caused by physical activity or strenuous exercise. That is why it is easy to eliminate the symptoms in the early stages of the disease.

5. There are several reasons for PAH. Although many factors are thought to contribute to PAH, more than 15 percent of all patients have hereditary pulmonary arterial hypertension caused by one of two things:

• Family history of pulmonary arterial hypertension

• Autosomal dominant genetic condition caused by mutations of the BMPR2 gene or TGFbeta pathway

• The use of diet pills – ie, Fen Phen, Pondimin, Redux and meth

6. Pulmonary arterial hypertension needs treatment. Eventually, the symptoms of PAH become impossible to ignore. Medical treatment will be needed to control the pulmonary artery’s internal blood pressure and protect the heart muscles from weakening – and ultimately, failure.

7. There is no cure for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Although there is no known treatment for PAH, drugs such as blood thinners and expansion agents are often prescribed to help the patient live a normal life. Transplantation of the organs of the lungs and heart is recommended only in severe conditions when other therapies have failed.

Photo is from Pulmonary hypertension news