Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects the arteries in your lungs and the right side of your heart. If the small arteries in your lungs become narrowed or blocked, it is more difficult for blood to flow through your lungs, raising the pressure inside the arteries. This makes your heart work harder, causing your heart muscle to weaken and eventually fail. Pulmonary hypertension is a serious illness that becomes worse over time. It can sometimes be fatal. Although there is no cure for pulmonary hypertension, treatments can lessen your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

Discover Our Difference

University of Minnesota Health Heart Care cardiologists are uniquely qualified to treat your pulmonary hypertension. Our pulmonary hypertension program is dedicated exclusively to the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension and dysfunction of the right heart. Our extensive experience, coupled with our team of cardiac specialists, provides a breadth and depth to our care. Our goals are to relieve your symptoms, improve your quality of life and increase your longevity. Our physicians are also involved in research to find new ways to treat this condition.

Diagnosis and Treatment

There is no cure for pulmonary hypertension. Treatment options depend on the underlying condition, the severity of the disease and your overall health. They might involve inhaled prostacyclin, parenteral prostacyclin, and oral medications including vasodilators, endothelin receptor antagonists, Prostacyclin receptor agonist, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors, prostanoids, calcium channel blockers, digoxin, soluble guanylyl cyclase inhibitors, coumadin, anticoagulants and diuretics.

Pulmonary hypertension patients may be eligible to participate in number of clinical trials. Other treatment options include: