title: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Diagnosis and Treatment.
abstract: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a specific, rare disease characterized by a well-described pattern of pulmonary vascular remodeling. The elevated pulmonary artery pressure in PAH results in increased right ventricular afterload, which, if untreated, leads rapidly to right ventricular failure and death. Recent marked expansion in knowledge about PAH has resulted in the development of effective therapies that improve quality of life and survival. However, delays in diagnosis and suboptimal treatment remain significant barriers to achieving optimal patient outcomes. Continued success in raising PAH awareness, earlier diagnosis, and the availability of new therapies mean a promising future for PAH patients.
authors.affiliation: Medstar Heart and Vascular Institute, 110 Irving Street Northwest Washington, DC 20010, USA; Critical Care Medicine Department, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Room 2C145, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, 6550 Fannin Street, Smith Tower, Suite 1901, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Paulino
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Division of Heart Failure and Transplant, Department of Cardiology, Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston Methodist Hospital, 6550 Fannin Street, Smith Tower, Suite 1901, Houston, TX 77030, USA. Electronic address: mhpark@houstonmethodist.org.
authors.forename: Myung H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D019028:Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Cine; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic
chemical_list: D000959:Antihypertensive Agents
keywords: Echocardiography; Endothelin antagonist; Phosphodiesterase inhibitor; Prostacyclin; Pulmonary arterial hypertension; Right heart catheterization