Facts to Know About PAH

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare and deadly disease but can be managed if you get a timely diagnosis. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment at the right time is crucial as PАН worsens over time. Here are some of the facts about PAH that you should know.

The cause of PAH is unknown 

No one exactly knows what sets off the chain of events in PAH. But researchers and experts suggest that it is the constriction of the vessels leading to the remodeling of the vessel wall. Pressure in the blood vessels increases due to the thickening of the vessels and blood flow becomes difficult. With the disease progression, the pressure also increases but our right ventricle is not accustomed to pumping blood against such high pressure.

Women are more affected than men 

PAH is most often diagnosed in women between the ages of 30 and 60. It is unclear why women are more susceptible. Idiopathic and heritable PAH are twice as common in women compared to men.

Diagnosis is difficult

Due to the rarity of the condition, PAH is often difficult to diagnose as some of the common symptoms presented overlap with other medical conditions such as congestive heart failure and asthma. It usually takes a year from the presentation of symptoms to the correct diagnosis of PAH, as the doctor need to rule out the other forms of pulmonary hypertension.

Managing the disease

As it is known that there is no cure for PAH but there are effective ways to manage the disease. Targeting different physiological pathways with a combination of drugs can improve the outcomes of the therapy. With this prognosis, it has been observed that median survival in patients has increased 4 times more than what it was 25 years ago.