If left untreated, PH can get worse and can often lead to death. There are now medications available to treat PH which work to open up the narrowed pulmonary arteries, reducing the pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and the pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR). As a result, the heart is better able to pump blood to the lungs.
Surgery (removal of blood clots, lung or heart-lung transplant) can effectively cure PH in some people.
If you or a loved one has PH the best treatment will be based on many factors such as:
- the type of PH
- the cause and severity of the PH
- the age and overall health of the patient
- the presence of other medical conditions and medications
