Pulmonary Hypertension

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare form of high blood pressure in the lungs. It's a complication of long-term pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot in the vessels of the lungs. The clot increases blood pressure in the vessels, resulting in high blood pressure, known as pulmonary hypertension. CTEPH is a "silent" condition, meaning it causes no symptoms in the early stages. It's also life threatening. However, CTEPH can be cured, so it's important to get treatment as soon as possible. Read on to learn about the symptoms, causes, and treatment options of the condition. CTEPH develops when a pulmonary embolism stays in your body. A pulmonary embolism happens when a blood clot from another part of your body travels to your lungs. The clot often comes from your leg veins. In your lungs, the clot blocks your blood vessels, which increases resistance in your blood. This causes pulmonary hypertension. The clot can be dissolved with treatment. Bu...

Heart failure develops when your heart muscles can't pump enough blood throughout your body to supply your tissues with adequate oxygen. Left-sided systolic heart failure develops from damage, weakness, or stiffness to the muscles of your left atrium and left ventricle. Likewise, right-sided heart failure develops due to weakening of the muscles in your right atrium and right ventricle. Left- and right-sided heart failure are associated with their own sets of symptoms. Some people have heart failure on both sides and develop both types of symptoms. Learn more about how left- and right-sided heart failure are similar and different. Although the term heart failure suggests your heart isn't able to function at all, it actually means your heart muscles just aren't functioning well enough to support your body's needs. It develops when your heart muscles are either too weak or not elastic enough to pump blood properly. About 6.2 million people in the United States are living...

TN Tribune—It all started in November 2021, when Chris Lytle, 71, started finding it harder to walk to work. "I had to start taking the elevator instead of walking up one flight of stairs," said Chris. "I thought I was in pretty good shape. I've been a marathoner and skied the American Birkebeiner in my lifetime." A couple of weeks later, Chris and a friend were walking up a small incline through the scenic lookout mountain in Chattanooga. "All of a sudden I was panting and holding onto my knees for support," said Chris. "I was in denial and blamed the altitude, but Lookout Mountain is only 2392 feet, so I was fooling myself." It was early December when Chris decided he needed to get checked out at a walk-in clinic. He received an x-ray and they diagnosed him with pneumonia. The medication they provided only lasted for about 10 days until he decided it was probably best he went to the ER. He arrived at CHI Memorial Hos...

Under normal conditions, breathing is effortless. However, some people with respiratory illnesses need to undergo breathing treatments on a regular basis.   Most breathing treatments deliver medication to the lungs in the form of a fine mist. Some breathing treatments are more effective than others, depending on the person and their illness.  This article will discuss breathing treatments for asthma and other respiratory illnesses, including types, side effects, and alternatives. FG Trade / Getty Images Breathing Treatments for Asthma Asthma is a chronic medical condition that causes narrowing and inflammation of the airways in the lungs. Asthma symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and chest tightness. When asthma symptoms get worse, it is called an "asthma episode" or "asthma attack."  There are two main types of breathing treatments for asthma: controller medications and quick-relief medi...

Supported by the GUIDE-HF results, the new indications include NYHA class II patients with prior hospitalization or elevated BNP. The US Food and Drug Administration has extended the indications for the CardioMEMS pulmonary artery pressure monitor (Abbott) to include patients with NYHA class II heart failure (HF) who have either been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous year and/or have elevated natriuretic peptides. That extension is supported by the results of the GUIDE-HF trial , which were actually neutral for the primary endpoint: reduction in HF events and mortality with pressure-guided care. The lack of benefit, however, is believed to have stemmed from COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and hospital avoidance. For the trial as a whole, no significant differences were seen for patients with NYHA II-IV heart failure randomized to hemodynamic monitoring as compared with guideline-directed medical care alone. In an analysis restricted to the period prior to ...

Supplemental long-term oxygen therapy is the only effective treatment for people with pulmonary hypertension (PH) associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who have low blood oxygen, according to a systematic review of studies. Such long-term oxygen treatment "may mildly reduce severity of PH, slow PH progression over time, and reduce mortality, but without any other clinical or functional benefit," the researchers wrote. The scientists — whose review evaluated therapies for PH patients with COPD, an inflammatory condition of the lungs — found that medications approved to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) generally did not work in these patients. Recommended Reading The review study, " Treatment of pulmonary hypertension associated with COPD: a systematic review ," was published in the journal ERJ Open Research . COPD, by its very name a chronic disease, is characterized by ...

As winter approaches and the weather starts to turn colder, clinicians at NHS East Lancashire and NHS Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) would like to remind those who have with asthma or another respiratory (breathing) conditions how to manage their symptoms. Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are both lung diseases and both cause swelling in your airways that makes it hard to breathe. Asthma gets better; symptoms can come and go, and you may be symptom-free for a long time. With COPD, symptoms are constant and get worse over time, even with treatment. With asthma, the swelling is often triggered by something you're allergic to, like pollen or mold, or by physical activity. COPD is the name given to a group of lung diseases that include emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Since asthma and COPD both make your airways swell, they both can cause shortness of breath, a cough and wheezing. One main difference is that asthma typically cau...

Supported by the GUIDE-HF results, the new indications include NYHA class II patients with prior hospitalization or elevated BNP. The US Food and Drug Administration has extended the indications for the CardioMEMS pulmonary artery pressure monitor (Abbott) to include patients with NYHA class II heart failure (HF) who have either been hospitalized for heart failure in the previous year and/or have elevated natriuretic peptides. That extension is supported by the results of the GUIDE-HF trial , which were actually neutral for the primary endpoint: reduction in HF events and mortality with pressure-guided care. The lack of benefit, however, is believed to have stemmed from COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and hospital avoidance. For the trial as a whole, no significant differences were seen for patients with NYHA II-IV heart failure randomized to hemodynamic monitoring as compared with guideline-directed medical care alone. In an analysis restricted to the period prior to ...

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Some people find they have shortness of breath or wheezing after eating. There are quite a few reasons why this may happen. Some of them may occur suddenly, as is the case if you inhale food. You may feel a tightness in your chest or the sense that you are suffocating. This shortness of breath, or dyspnea , often causes alarm if it's new or starts to happen often but you don't know why. You may not even be sure what shortness of breath feels like if you have never experienced it. Shortness of breath causes also can be related to existing medical problems. Feeling short of breath after eating can happen if you have a lung condition, like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It can also be a symptom of a severe food allergy reaction called anaphylaxis. This article will introduce you to common causes for why you may have trouble breathing after eating. It also will help you to know when your symptoms require medical attention. Verywell /...

[unable to retrieve full-text content] Validity of echocardiographic tricuspid regurgitation gradient to screen for new definition of pulmonary hypertension    The Lancet

Blood pressure and heart rate (pulse) are two important vital signs measured at your healthcare visits. Blood pressure is a measure of the force of blood on the blood vessel walls. Blood vessels can be thought of as a plumbing system, and they can widen or constrict to control blood pressure. Heart rate is the number of times the heart beats per minute. It is determined by the electrical system of the heart. This article discusses the relationship between your heart rate and blood pressure, factors that can affect each of them, and when to seek help for abnormal readings. Nico De Pasquale Photography / Getty Images Does Heart Rate Affect Blood Pressure? Heart rate and blood pressure are controlled separately. However, they can impact each other. This is especially true at extremes, such as when heart rate is very high or blood pressure is very low. In some cases, heart rate has a direct effect on blood pressure. For example, if the heart...