ALA provides guidance on PH guidelines

Echocardiography ultrasound machine image

Pulmonary hypertension (PH), though rare, can be fatal, especially if left undiagnosed or untreated. The American Lung Association (ALA) has collaborated with Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) to issue new input on managing the condition. 

The “Guidance to the Guidelines” gives primary care providers additional information on how to recognize PH symptoms, order diagnostic tests and refer patients to specialists, if needed. The document builds on the 2022 clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension developed by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS).

“Diagnosing PH can be difficult because many of the initial signs and symptoms present like other lung diseases, such as asthma and COPD. A person with PH may have other medical conditions, and the disease may be associated with a variety of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, such as congenital heart disease, COPD or lupus,” said Albert Rizzo, chief medical officer for ALA, in a press release. “Managing PH often requires a multi-faceted and multidisciplinary approach, with active involvement from patients diagnosed and living with PH.”

ALA and PHA organized a scientific roundtable of pulmonary hypertension experts in April 2024. The purpose was to form a consensus that would make the guidelines easier to understand and implement with a goal to improve the care and outcomes of people living with PH in the United States. 

“We hope to see more people diagnosed when their symptoms initially arise instead of suffering for years without appropriate treatment. With earlier, accurate diagnosis, people with PH can find specialized care, targeted therapy, experience higher quality of life and live longer with PH,” said Matt Granato, president and CEO of PHA.

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