Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a disease where you have abnormally high blood pressure in the blood vessels of your lungs (pulmonary arteries). In PH, the pulmonary arteries become narrowed, and can be scarred to the point of being closed. PH is a serious illness, and can be life-threatening.
What’s the Difference between PH and PAH?
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is the general term used to describe high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries. There are many causes of PH.
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is one category of PH. PAH is due to disease in the pulmonary arteries, which are narrowed and can be scarred to the point of being closed. PAH is an important cause of PH because it is often the most severe, and because many new medications are for patients with PAH.