Maryland Heart Center

Heart Center News

Diagnosis: Pulmonary Hypertension

Please install flash player to see this video.

Hospital Virtual Tour

Related Content

Set foot in the doctor's office and you will likely have to expose an arm for a blood pressure check. A quick look at the numbers for systolic and diastolic pressure and you could be diagnosed with hypertension. The same does not hold true for pulmonary hypertension (PH), a type of high blood pressure found in the arteries of the lungs.

At the University of Maryland Heart Center, there is an exclusive pulmonary hypertension program dedicated to diagnosing and treating this rare but potentially fatal condition. Pulmonary hypertension results as the arteries in the lungs become blocked and narrowed, forcing the right side of the heart to work harder to pump blood through the lungs.

"Shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness and palpitations are the most common symptoms associated with pulmonary hypertension," explains Myung H. Park, M.D., director of the pulmonary vascular disease program and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Since it cannot be detected during a routine checkup, pulmonary hypertension can easily go undiagnosed for many months to years and can be confused with other diseases, like asthma."

Dr. Park adds, "Pulmonary hypertension is more common among women than men, and it can strike at any age. As we get better at recognizing this disease, we are seeing patients ranging in age from their teens all the way to their 80s." Although the exact cause of PH is unclear, there is a genetic basis, so some forms can be inherited. Also, people with connective tissue disorders such as scleroderma, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, as well as those with certain types of severe liver disease, HIV and blood clot disorders in the lungs, have a higher risk of developing PH.

To make the diagnosis of PH, an echocardiogram is the most useful screening test. This is a non-invasive ultrasound test of the heart to assess heart function and obtain an estimation of the lung artery pressures. However, the test that is essential to diagnose PH is right-heart catheterization, an outpatient test that measures the pressures in the pulmonary arteries.

Myung Park, M.D., director of the Pulmonary Vascular Disease (Hypertension) Program.

Treatment options depend on the severity of the condition. There are oral medications, inhaled medicines and continuous intravenous infusion medications. And in very extreme cases, a lung transplant is necessary. "We are constantly evolving. When I began specializing in pulmonary hypertension, there were no medications. In the past decade, there have been six drugs to get FDA approval," explains Dr. Park. She suspects there will be more medications available in the near future. As part of a leading academic medical center, the University of Maryland Heart Center's program in Pulmonary Vascular Disease conducts clinical trials that offer patients the newest therapies available.

Dr. Park adds, "We have made such amazing progress in this field. When there were no effective treatments, many young women died from this disease. Now I see women who were once incapacitated and barely able to breathe play with their children and lead active lives. It is very rewarding to see the level of difference we are making."

Please call if you would like to make an appointment or talk to someone about our services. Patients dial 1-800-492-5538 or 410-328-5842, physicians dial 410-328-6622 or 1-800-318-1019.