One of the hardest aspects of living with pulmonary hypertension is dealing with uncertainty. Doctors have gained many important insights into this condition and its treatment. Still, it is difficult for physicians to predict what the future course of the disease will be in an individual patient. In some people, the condition remains mild and poses little danger. In others, pulmonary hypertension is life-threatening. Some people respond well to medications like calcium channel blockers; others don't.

The prognosis for secondary pulmonary hypertension has an especially broad range, because it can be caused by such a wide variety of underlying conditions. If doctors are able to treat the condition that is producing pulmonary hypertension, then the right ventricle may recover. The heart can become stronger and the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension can be relieved.

If the underlying cause is chronic blood clots in the pulmonary arteries, for instance, treatments can effectively remove these obstructions and prevent future clots. In such a case, the disease may have no effect on life expectancy. If the underlying cause is a collagen vascular disease like scleroderma, however, there is less doctors can do, and the prognosis is worse.

In general, the best prognosis is in people with mild symptoms, good heart function, and pulmonary arteries that will relax in response to various drugs. After taking a full medical history, performing a physical exam, and running the appropriate tests, your doctor will be able to give you the best idea of what you can expect. Your doctor is likely to prescribe procedures like the 6-minute walk test or echocardiograms from time to time to monitor your condition and the effectiveness of drugs you take. Results from tests will also give you a good sense of what you can expect later.

Pulmonary hypertension is a serious, sometimes life-threatening condition. Still, it is important to remember that the prognosis for people with pulmonary hypertension has improved dramatically in the past decade, thanks to new drugs that reduce blood pressure. Prospects are likely to improve even more as new drugs under investigation become available.

Many clinical trials are under way to test combinations of existing drugs and new therapies. A tremendous range of research is also being conducted on ways to treat the underlying conditions that lead to secondary pulmonary hypertension. Advances in these areas could lead to new treatments and perhaps even cures. Farther down the road, gene therapies may become available. For more information on clinical trials, click here.

-- Peter Jaret is a contributing editor for Health magazine and a winner of the American Medical Association's Award for medical reporting. He is the author of In Self-Defense (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich), Active Living Every Day, and Heart Healthy for Life.

References

First published October 27, 2003
Last updated October 30, 2007
Copyright © 2003 Consumer Health Interactive

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