Mild pulmonary hypertension

Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
Updated on September 21, 2024
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Pulmonary hypertension is a relatively common disease in daily life. Many patients, when they go to the hospital for examination, often see reports from cardiac ultrasound indicating mild pulmonary hypertension, moderate pulmonary hypertension, or non-severe pulmonary hypertension. So, what are the criteria for mild pulmonary hypertension? Generally, pulmonary artery pressure is measured using right heart catheterization or cardiac ultrasound. If the pressure is between 30 to 50 mmHg, this is often considered mild pulmonary hypertension. Generally, the prognosis for mild pulmonary hypertension is quite good, typically not producing noticeable symptoms or affecting health.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
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Pulmonary hypertension belongs to which department?

Pulmonary hypertension is a relatively complex disease with many types, and the department to which a patient should go depends on the type. For example, patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension often need to visit the department of cardiology. Similarly, pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease also falls under the jurisdiction of cardiology. However, if the pulmonary hypertension is related to hypoxia, these patients typically belong to the department of respiratory medicine. Furthermore, there are cases of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, where patients can be seen either in cardiology or respiratory medicine. Therefore, answering which department pulmonary hypertension belongs to is a complex issue that requires classification based on the cause of the disease.

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Written by Wang Chun Mei
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How dangerous is pulmonary hypertension?

Pulmonary hypertension is itself a very complex disease, with many causative factors in clinical practice. In the early stages, patients may only exhibit symptoms such as shortness of breath after activity, difficulty breathing, and overall fatigue. However, as the condition gradually worsens, patients may experience chest tightness, rapid breathing, and even chest pain, fainting, or dizziness. If the patient also has right heart dysfunction, they may experience symptoms like swelling of the lower limbs, as well as diarrhea and abdominal distension. Therefore, if pulmonary hypertension patients are definitively diagnosed and do not receive timely appropriate treatment, the accompanying clinical symptoms may rapidly worsen. The patient's life may be at risk due to severe symptoms such as hypoxia or fainting.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
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Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension

The symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension are varied. In the early stages when pulmonary cardiac function is compensatory, the symptoms mainly include cough, phlegm, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, and fatigue. Later, when pulmonary cardiac function becomes decompensated, symptoms of respiratory failure and right heart failure may occur. In cases of right heart failure, symptoms mainly manifest as systemic circulatory congestion, including visceral nausea, vomiting, palpitations, and pronounced shortness of breath. In respiratory failure, particularly pulmonary hypertension caused by pulmonary heart disease, symptoms like drowsiness, confusion, and gaze fixation, which are typical of pulmonary encephalopathy, may occur. Therefore, the symptoms of pulmonary arterial hypertension are diverse.

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Written by Li Hai Wen
Cardiology
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The harms of pulmonary arterial hypertension during pregnancy

Pulmonary hypertension is categorized into mild, moderate, and severe stages. If it is mild pulmonary hypertension, pregnancy generally does not have a major impact. However, for those with moderate or especially severe pulmonary hypertension, pregnancy can be very dangerous for both the mother and the fetus. As the fetus grows, pulmonary hypertension can lead to ischemia and hypoxia, which can worsen over time. The mother is likely to develop symptoms of acute heart failure, severely endangering her life. Additionally, it can cause intrauterine hypoxia for the fetus, leading to miscarriage or stillbirth. Therefore, pregnancy is not recommended for patients with moderate, and particularly severe, pulmonary hypertension.

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Written by Tang Li
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Is moderate pulmonary hypertension serious?

Pulmonary hypertension is a common clinical condition with complex etiology, which can be caused by various cardiac, pulmonary, or pulmonary vascular diseases. The current diagnostic criteria for pulmonary hypertension are an average pulmonary arterial pressure greater than 25 mmHg at sea level in a resting state, or greater than 30 mmHg during exercise, as measured via right heart catheterization. The severity of pulmonary hypertension can be categorized based on resting average pulmonary arterial pressure levels into mild (26 to 35 mmHg), moderate (36 to 45 mmHg), and severe (greater than 45 mmHg). Echocardiography is the most important non-invasive screening method for pulmonary hypertension. Assessing the severity of moderate pulmonary hypertension not only involves the measurement of average pulmonary arterial pressure but also necessitates identifying its etiology. Since pulmonary hypertension is a disease with a complex etiology, it is crucial to first clarify the cause, and then further determine the patient's cardiopulmonary function status, whether it is in a compensatory or decompensatory stage. Additionally, it is important to determine if there are any related complications, such as pulmonary hypertension stemming from lung-induced conditions. When patients exhibit complications like pulmonary encephalopathy, acid-base imbalance, electrolyte disturbances, arrhythmias, or even shock and gastrointestinal bleeding, the severity of pulmonary hypertension can be extremely severe.