Early Diagnosis, Prompt Treatment Offer Hope for Those With Rare Form of Pulmonary Hypertension Called CTEPH
The Pulmonary Hypertension Association recognizes Nov. 13 as CTEPH Awareness Day.
SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As part of Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month, on Nov. 13, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) sets aside a day to help raise awareness and improve diagnosis of a rare form of pulmonary hypertension (PH) known as chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Unlike some forms of PH, CTEPH has several treatment options, including a potentially curative surgery.
CTEPH is a form of pulmonary hypertension caused by old blood clots in the lungs. Some patients with CTEPH also have other changes in their pulmonary arteries that can make them narrower and stiffer. CTEPH stops or slows blood from flowing through the arteries and causes the right side of the heart to pump much harder, which can lead to right-heart failure and death. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain. Because these symptoms are similar to other common illnesses such as asthma, people can go months and years without a proper diagnosis.
To accurately diagnose CTEPH, doctors must incorporate a number of tests, including a right heart catheterization to measure blood pressure in the heart and lungs and a ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan that highlights how blood circulates through the lungs in order to locate blockages. Although CTEPH is a serious condition, the good news is that advances in treatment offer surgical and treatment options. One of these is a surgery that removes the chronic blood clots from the lungs.
"If left untreated, CTEPH is a deadly condition. Fortunately, it is perhaps the most treatable form of pulmonary hypertension where even a cure is oftentimes possible," says Gustavo Heresi, M.D., a pulmonologist at Cleveland Clinic.
PHA will host a Facebook Live event at http://www.Facebook.com/PulmonaryHypertensionAssociation on CTEPH Awareness Day:
- Ask the Expert About CTEPH: A CTEPH Awareness Day Facebook Live Q&A at 1:30 p.m. E.S.T. with CTEPH expert Peter Hountras, M.D., from UC Health University of Colorado Hospital.
CTEPH Awareness Day will also feature inspiring stories by individuals with CTEPH through PHA's "PHaces of Hope" campaign, which involves a community of individuals with PH, caregivers and health care professionals who share what gives them hope while facing this disease.
For resources on CTEPH Awareness Day, visit PHAssociation.org/CTEPHDay. The day's activities can also be followed on social media using #CTEPHDay.
PHA's CTEPH Awareness Day campaign is supported by a sponsorship from Bayer.
About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Headquartered in Silver Spring, Md., the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) is the country's oldest and largest nonprofit patient association dedicated to the pulmonary hypertension (PH) community. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare, chronic and life-threatening disease of the lungs for which no cure currently exists. PHA's mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH. To achieve this mission, PHA engages people with PH and their families, caregivers, health care providers, and researchers worldwide who work together to advocate for the PH community, provide support to patients, caregivers and families, offer up-to-date education and information on PH, improve quality patient care, and fund and promote research. For more information, visit http://www.PHAssociation.org and connect with PHA on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SOURCE Pulmonary Hypertension Association
Share this article