What is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
(PAH) is a rare, chronic, and progressive form of Pulmonary Hypertension which
is characterized by the elevated pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) and
pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) in blood vessels carrying the blood from
the right side of the heart through lungs. It occurs due to the tightening and
stiffening of the small pulmonary arteries leading to the right ventricular
dysfunction and vessel obstruction.
According
to the American Lung Association, “Normally, the pressure in the right side of
the heart and the blood vessels of the lungs is lower than in the rest of the body.
This allows the blood to collect as much oxygen as possible while in the lungs.
In the case of PAH, the scarred and narrowed blood vessels in the lungs making
it harder for the blood to get through. This forces the right side of the heart
to pump harder, under greater pressure. If this increased pressure is not
treated, it can cause the right side of the heart to become overworked and
possibly fail. This problem can also reduce the ability of the blood to collect
enough oxygen to keep the body functioning normally.”
New
York Heart Association (NYHA) had classified Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
(PAH) as Class I, Class II, Class III, and Class IV to determine the severity
of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). Symptoms with less activity appear in
higher functional class.
The
disease is found to be more common among women as compared to men. It is also
observed that the patients with Systemic Sclerosis, Sickle Cell Disease, and
Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection (HIV infection) are at a higher risk of
developing Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
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