Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs. In asbestos patients it is usually a late result of severe asbestosis or other scarring lung disease, and it strains the right side of the heart, which can lead to cor pulmonale.

Origin

The condition was studied in detail after cardiac catheterization made it possible to measure pressures inside the heart and lungs in the 1940s and 1950s. Modern classifications group pulmonary hypertension by cause; the type caused by lung disease and low oxygen is one of the main groups.

Significance in Asbestos Context

When asbestosis scars the lungs, oxygen levels in the blood fall and the small blood vessels in the lungs narrow and are lost. The right side of the heart then has to pump harder, and over time it can enlarge and fail. People notice worsening shortness of breath, tiredness, swelling of the ankles and reduced ability to exercise. An echocardiogram can suggest pulmonary hypertension, and a right heart catheterization confirms it. Treatment usually focuses on the underlying lung disease and on supplemental oxygen when levels are low. For a claim, pulmonary hypertension shows that asbestosis has progressed to the point of affecting the heart, which bears on the severity of the disease and on damages. Defendants may point to other causes, such as heart failure, sleep apnea, blood clots or smoking-related lung disease, so the cardiologist's and lung doctor's notes on cause are important.

Example Sentence

His echocardiogram showed raised pressures in the lung arteries, and the cardiologist attributed the pulmonary hypertension to his advanced asbestosis.

Related Terms

Cor Pulmonale, Asbestosis, Hypoxia, Dyspnea, Interstitial Fibrosis, Supplemental Oxygen, Diffusing Capacity (DLCO)

Notes

• Swelling in the legs or ankles and worsening breathlessness are worth reporting to your doctor promptly.
• Ask your doctors to write down what they believe is causing the pulmonary hypertension.
• Keep copies of echocardiogram and heart catheterization reports along with your lung records.