Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension means high blood pressure in the arteries between the heart and lungs. The World Health Organization (WHO) divides pulmonary hypertension into five categories based on its cause. Knowing the type of pulmonary hypertension a person has can guide treatment decisions. For example, people with type three pulmonary hypertension usually have an underlying lung disorder, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A doctor cannot diagnose pulmonary hypertension based on symptoms alone. Instead, a person needs to see a doctor. It is important to note that pulmonary hypertension classes are based on the cause of the condition, not severity. Read more to learn about the five different classes, how doctors diagnose them, how they treat them, and more. Pulmonary hypertension means the blood pressure is high in the pulmonary arteries. These arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs. A person has pulmonary artery hypertension if their average pulmonary artery ...

In this episode, Dr Rizzo interviews Paul M. Hassoun, MD, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Baltimore MD), about his research on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), including its pathogenesis, the evaluation required to establish the diagnosis, available therapies, and what is in store for the future direction in treating patients with the PAH.  Additional Resource: Hassoun PM. Pulmonary arterial hypertension. N Engl J Med . 2021;385(25):2361-2376. doi:10.1056/NEJMra2000348 Paul M. Hassoun, MD, is the director of the pulmonary hypertension program and a professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Albert A. Rizzo, MD, is the chief medical officer of the American Lung Association and a member of ChristianaCare Pulmonary Associates in Newark, Delaware. TRANSCRIPTION:  Moderator: Hello, and welcome to Critical Observations in Pulmonary Medicine, led by Chief Medical Officer of the American Lung...

What Is Spiriva? Spiriva ( tiotropium ) is an inhalable drug in the class known as anticholinergics. It is most commonly prescribed to manage and treat lung disorders, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Spiriva is a long-acting anticholinergic agent. Generally, anticholinergic agents block special proteins throughout the body known as receptors. Specifically, they target nicotinic or muscarinic receptors. A chemical in your body called acetylcholine can activate the receptors and cause constriction of your bronchioles. If you have asthma or COPD, your symptoms may be caused by the constriction or closing of airways (bronchioles) in your lungs. When Spiriva blocks a specific muscarinic receptor located in the bronchioles, the muscles around the bronchioles relax and widen. This provides relief of symptoms in lung disorders like asthma or COPD. In the United States, Spiriva is only available with a proper prescription. You cannot get ...

Baldwin Wallace's Active Minds hosts its semesterly "Stress Less Week" on April 24-29, aiming to combat student stress before finals.    Active Minds  is a student organization that focuses on mental health on campus, particularly for students. Their goal is to bring awareness to mental health issues on campus and work towards destigmatizing conversations surrounding mental health.   During Active Minds' first year as an organization at BW in 2020, the leadership board was approached by a health center worker who suggested hosting this week-long event to help de-stress students while preparing for finals.   "Before finals week, people are so stressed [that] they don't really make time for themselves," Morgan Ashley, the vice president of Active Minds, said. "It's very needed, especially before such a crazy week."   First-year Bella Issa, an Acting and Directing major, agrees with t...

Black men facing a receding hairline have three choices: Go full Michael Jordan and shave your head; learn to live with it and style your remaining hair accordingly; or seek out a hair restoration treatment. The most common cause of a receding hairline in Black men, and most men in general, is a condition called male pattern baldness — known clinically as male androgenetic alopecia. It's hereditary and not preventable. There are some ways to prevent a receding hairline that is triggered by certain styling methods, but once your hairline starts making the slow retreat from your forehead, you may want to consider treatment options that may help bring your desired hairline back. A receding hairline occurs when hair stops growing at the front of the head. The process usually starts around the temples and then gradually moves back across the top of the head. For many men, hair loss continues until there is just a ring of hair around the top of the head, while others lose all or almost a...