Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension (CTEPH)
A diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs, can be frightening and confusing. When you seek treatment at Duke, you have access to nationally ranked lung and heart teams equipped with the latest methods for diagnosing, treating, and controlling all types of pulmonary hypertension. These include pulmonary hypertension that’s hereditary, related to other medical conditions (such as scleroderma, lupus, liver disease, heart disease, HIV, and chronic blood clots), or caused by past medication or drug use. Using pulmonary rehabilitation, medications, surgery, and the latest research, we aim to prevent your condition from getting worse and help you maintain as normal a lifestyle as possible.
Why Pulmonary Hypertension Treatment Is Important
Left untreated, pulmonary hypertension (in some cases called pulmonary arterial hypertension) can cause significant damage to your heart and lungs that can only be improved with a lung transplant or heart-lung transplant. While there is no cure for most forms of pulmonary hypertension, early diagnosis and treatment can greatly improve your ability to live with the disease. One type of pulmonary hypertension -- chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), which is caused by old blood clots that have scarred the blood vessels to your lungs -- is potentially curable.
At Duke, our pulmonologists and cardiologists will review your health history and use sophisticated diagnostic tools to confirm your diagnosis, identify what type of pulmonary hypertension you have, and help you determine what treatment will be most effective for you.
Choosing a Pulmonary Hypertension Treatment Center
Trust your care to Duke’s nationally ranked lung and heart programs.
- You’ll get expert care from pulmonologists and cardiologists. We’re one of the few places in the nation where these types of specialists join forces to control pulmonary hypertension, which can affect both organs.
- If you need a lung transplant or heart-lung transplant, our transplant programs are among the nation’s largest, and our survival rates are among the nation’s best.
- If you have chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) -- the curable form of pulmonary hypertension -- you’ll benefit from a program that has been providing highly specialized medical and surgical care of this complex problem for decades.
- You’ll have access to the full range of oral, inhaled, intravenous (IV), and subcutaneous treatments for pulmonary hypertension.
- Our comprehensive database of the latest research on pulmonary hypertension ensures you receive the most effective treatments available. Our pulmonary hypertension team is actively researching the condition and ways to manage it, including new diagnostic tests and medications.
- Your treatment team may include pulmonologists, cardiologists, pulmonary rehabilitation specialists, pulmonary hypertension-trained nurses, and other healthcare professionals to help you get -- and keep -- your condition in control. Our staff can work with your insurance company and drug companies to make your care easier.
- You’ll receive tools and support from our pulmonary rehabilitation program to help you learn about your condition and make lifestyle changes that will help you control your pulmonary hypertension.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
Treatments
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May be prescribed to help your heart pump blood, reduce excess fluid that puts pressure on your heart, and thin your blood to prevent blood clots.
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Shown to be the most effective in treating the blood vessel scarring that causes pulmonary arterial hypertension and providing relief from chest pain and shortness of breath.
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We offer a variety of inhaled treatment options that help relieve shortness of breath, such as oxygen treatments, iloprost, and inhaled treprostinil.
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Removes blood clots from the arteries in your lungs to help you breathe easier.
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If your lung and/or heart have been damaged by pulmonary hypertension, you may require a transplant. We are among the nation’s leaders in lung and heart-lung transplants performed each year.
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Before, during, and after treatment, we offer supervised exercise, education, and medical management. We also give you the tools you need to exercise, eat right, quit smoking, lose weight, and make other lifestyle changes. The goal is to boost your lung function, improve your symptoms, and help you keep your pulmonary hypertension in control.
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
Tests
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Measure the oxygen level in your blood, your liver and kidney function, and other important indicators to see if you have pulmonary hypertension and determine what treatments might be helpful for you.
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Images of your lungs can reveal signs of pulmonary hypertension, including enlarged arteries and scarring.
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Uses ultrasound images to show heart function. The images are used to measure the pressure inside the right chamber of your heart.
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Tests the electrical impulses of your heart, which indicate heart function.
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A narrow, flexible tube called a catheter is threaded through a vein to your heart to diagnose pulmonary hypertension and determine if it has caused damage to your heart muscle.
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Measure how much air your lungs can hold, how much air moves in and out of your lungs, and your lungs’ ability to exchange oxygen.
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Creates an image of air and blood flow in your lungs. Also used to identify blood clots in your lungs that may contribute to your condition.
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Evaluates how well your body tolerates exercise. Used to determine how severe your pulmonary hypertension is.