PULMONARY HYPERTENSION – TREATMENT OPTIONS

Abstract

Pulmonary Hypertension refers to abnormal increase in pulmonary pressure (mean PA pressure > 25 mmhg and > 30 mmhg), it can be caused by or associated with variety of conditions). The treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension depends upon the underlying factors precipitating or causing the disease process. In recent years many advanced treatment options has been developed to improve the functional class and even survival of pulmonary hypertension patients. Pharmacological therapy comprises of primary and advanced therapy. Primary or standard or supportive therapy is usually used in all pulmonary hypertension groups for symptomatic relief1. Advanced therapies focus on preventing the underlying disease progression. Patients refractory to all treatment options may require heart lung transplant. In last two decades dramatic improvement in treatment options for pulmonary hypertension has occurred but still lots of question needed to be answered like which patient population benefits most from which particular therapy, determining when to initiate treatment and establishing optimal treatment sequence or combination therapy. Still improved disease awareness in addition to novel treatment options has lead to improve outcome both in terms of functional class and survival for this previously uniformly fatal disease.