A 25-year old woman develops slowly progressive shortness of breath. After two years of wrong turns in her health care she eventually gets an echocardiogram that suggests pulmonary hypertension. She has a right heart catheterization that confirms severe PAH. She is referred to a local pulmonologist who starts her on one oral … [Read more...]
Phase 1 Study of Stem Cells for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Stem cells are special types of cells that have the ability to renew themselves and develop into different types of tissues. There are a variety of different types of stem cells but the general concept is that we all have a small reservoir of these cells in our bodies. These cells allow us to repair and replenish the cells that make up the different … [Read more...]
Do I Need Oxygen?
One of the most common concerns that patients with lung disease express is whether or not they need to use oxygen. This is an important question for many patients with PAH. How Your Lungs Work with PAH A quick review of basic physiology: air that we breathe travels through our airways down into the business part of our lungs … [Read more...]
5 Tips for Enjoying Summer with Pulmonary Hypertension
Summer is a time to relax, enjoy your family. Enjoy the beautiful weather. However, PAH patients need to take some extra precautions. Sun Protection Unfortunately, all PAH medications increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun and you can get a sunburn very easily. For patients who also have connective tissue diseases such as … [Read more...]
Pulmonary Hypertension and Methamphetamines
Although the opioid epidemic is attracting more attention, there is another epidemic in America, methamphetamine abuse. Methamphetamine (Meth) is an inexpensive drug that can be smoked, snorted or injected. It is made in a chemical reaction involving a common cold medicine. Most Meth, however, is imported from Mexico. Meth is extremely … [Read more...]
