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The truth about pulmonary hypertension: Why does this disease strike quietly?
Pulmonary hypertension (PH), a rare but dangerous disease, is quietly threatening the health of countless people. With the changes in people's lifestyles and the influence of environmental factors, this gradually rising blood pressure state is receiving more and more attention. According to the latest data, pulmonary hypertension can cause patients to experience difficulty breathing, chest pain and even fainting, and the onset of these symptoms is often gradual, and patients may miss early warning signs before discovering them.
According to the definition of the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension in 2018, pulmonary hypertension can be diagnosed when the mean pulmonary artery pressure exceeds 20 mmHg at rest.
Causes and risk factors
Although the specific cause of pulmonary hypertension is often unknown, many risk factors are known, including family history, previous pulmonary embolism, HIV/AIDS, locked cell disease, cocaine use, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep apnea, and , life at high altitudes, and mitral valve problems. These factors may contribute to the development of the disease to a certain extent.
Most cases of pulmonary hypertension result from inflammation of the small vessels and subsequent remodeling of the pulmonary arteries.
Diagnosis and classification
The diagnostic process for pulmonary hypertension first requires ruling out other potential causes. According to the World Health Organization's classification, pulmonary hypertension can be divided into five main categories, including pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary hypertension caused by left heart disease, pulmonary hypertension caused by lung disease, etc. The diagnostic criteria for each category vary depending on the cause of the disease, and the key to the patient's treatment plan is accurate diagnosis.
Symptoms and effects
Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension often include shortness of breath, tiredness, and chest discomfort, which may actually limit a person's ability to exercise. There are also less common symptoms, such as a nonproductive cough and exercise-induced nausea and vomiting. In some patients, especially those with secondary pulmonary hypertension, coughing up blood may even occur.
The disease occurs in about 1,000 new cases per year in the United States, and tends to affect women more than men.
Treatment options and future directions
Although there is still no cure for pulmonary hypertension in 2022, various treatment studies are currently underway to seek possible solutions. Treatment depends on the specific type of disease. Common treatments include oxygen therapy, diuretics and anticoagulants. In addition, there are some specific drugs, such as iprenaline, temozolomide, and sildenafil, which have been shown to be effective in reducing symptoms.
Dissecting Pathophysiology
The pathophysiological research on pulmonary hypertension mainly focuses on the narrowing and hardening of blood vessels, which causes the heart to encounter greater resistance when pumping blood, which may eventually lead to the risk of right heart failure. For example, in patients with pulmonary hypertension, the right ventricle typically has to bear a higher workload, and adaptive hypertrophy may temporarily improve heart efficiency, but as the condition worsens, the heart will be increasingly unable to keep up with the body's demands.
New research directions need to focus on the overall pathological mechanisms of pulmonary hypertension, especially its interaction with the heart.
Facing the challenges of the future
Current medical research is still exploring new treatments for pulmonary hypertension, which is not only a hope for treating this disease, but also part of promoting overall research on lung diseases. The medical community needs to continue to improve its understanding of pulmonary hypertension in order to provide better treatment options for patients. Is it possible to find an effective strategy to cure pulmonary hypertension in the near future?
