This is the prognosis of pulmonary hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension is a disease that can only be cured in a few cases. Most people affected therefore retain the disease throughout their lives. The only chance of a cure is pulmonary hypertension, which is caused by blood clots. These can be removed in an operation lasting 8 to 10 hours, so that no pulmonary hypertension can be detected afterwards. For the other forms of pulmonary hypertension, the prognosis usually depends on the underlying disease (often heart disease, also lung tissue disease).You can read about the life expectancy in coronary heart disease in our article: Life expectancy in coronary heart disease
Which values are normal, which are abnormal?
Many different values can be measured for pulmonary hypertension. In the heart catheter, the pressure in the pulmonary circulation is the most important factor. If this pressure is above 25mmHg on average, we speak of pulmonary hypertension.
The oxygen saturation in the blood also plays a role. Normally it is over 95%. Below 90%, there is definitely a disturbance in oxygenation (enrichment of the blood with oxygen), which can indicate pulmonary hypertension.
To detect damage to the heart, the NT-proBNP value in the blood is measured. These are peptide hormones that are released when the left ventricle is stretched. The NT-proBNP value is below 100pg/ml in healthy individuals and can quickly rise to well over 1,000pg/ml in patients, often even above 10,000pg/ml.
Oxygen saturation provides information about how well the blood is enriched with oxygen. In healthy people this value is over 95%. In people suffering from pulmonary hypertension, the value can also be over 95% at rest, but often falls below 90% in stress tests, such as the 6-minute walk test. If the oxygen saturation is already frequently below 90% at rest, long-term oxygen therapy must be considered.
These are the symptoms of pulmonary hypertension
The symptoms of pulmonary hypertension are varied and extremely unspecific, which is why the disease is often diagnosed very late. Usually, the first signs are reduced resilience and performance. This is particularly noticeable during physical exertion such as sports or climbing stairs.
However, carrying heavier loads is also often difficult for affected persons. In addition, increased fatigue often occurs. In advanced stages of the disease, respiratory distress occurs with little physical exertion or even at rest.
In addition, the heart is damaged by the increased blood pressure in the lungs, resulting in a backlog of blood in the body. As a result, water is stored, for example, in the ankles and lower legs. Circulatory disorders such as dizziness and fainting spells can also be triggered by the heart damage. The lungs’ reduced ability to transport oxygen into the blood can also lead to so-called cyanosis. This is an undersupply of oxygen to tissue, which can cause the lips or fingers, for example, to turn bluish.
