title: Approach to pulmonary hypertension.
abstract: Until recently, many physicians considered pulmonary hypertension a rare and esoteric condition that is difficult to diagnose and nearly impossible to treat. However, pulmonary hypertension can complicate a variety of relatively common diseases and, with the development of new and effective therapies, there is a need for greater awareness of this condition. Pulmonary hypertension should be considered when patients present with unexplained shortness of breath, chest pain, or syncope. The usual delay of 1 to 2 years between onset of symptoms and diagnosis underscores the importance of considering pulmonary hypertension in the differential diagnosis of patients who present with atypical cardiorespiratory symptoms.
authors: Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, CA, USA.
authors: G L
authors: GL
authors: Yung
authors: L J
authors: LJ
authors: Rubin
mesh_terms: D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015984:Causality; D004232:Diuretics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000401:mortality; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D002316:Cardiotonic Agents; D004232:Diuretics