Primary pulmonary hypertension, or PPH, is a serious medical condition and has received a lot of media attention in recent years due to its association with popular diet drugs. While doctors have discovered that drugs such as Fen-Phen can lead to PPH, there are additional causes of this and other types of pulmonary hypertension.
Much of the current knowledge and written information regarding primary pulmonary hypertension came about as the result of a series of conferences, the first of which took place in 1973. The World Health Organization (or WHO) organized a conference to establish a formal classification system for pulmonary hypertension. As a result of this conference’s work, a clear distinction was made between primary and secondary PH, and many of the causes of PPH were identified.
Years later, in 1998, a second conference convened to discuss the causes of secondary pulmonary hypertension. Finally, in 2003, a third conference was held to re-examine the classification system created in 1973 and to update it according to the newest medical findings.
The classification system resulting from that system is as follows, and includes the most recent information on different groups of PH and the causes of each.
WHO Group I
This first classification group is designated for cases of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and causes of Group I conditions can be
? Idiopathic
? Familial
? Resulting from other diseases / conditions including collagen vascular disease, portal hypertension, HIV, and drug use
WHO Group II
WHO Group II describes pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease. Causes include
? Atrial disease
? Ventricular disease
? Valvular disease
WHO Group III
Pulmonary hypertension associated with lung diseases and / or hypoxemia comprise WHO Group III. Causes of these conditions are
? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
? Interstitial lung disease
? Sleep-disordered breathing
? Repeated high-altitude exposure
? Lung abnormalities (developmental)
WHO Group IV
Group IV describes PH due to chronic thrombotic and / or embolic diseases, which can be caused by
? Pulmonary embolism
? Embolization of tumor cells, parasites, or other matter
WHO Group V
This final group is labeled “Miscellaneous” and covers any conditions that are not touched upon in the other four groupings.
Despite the cause or type of PH, all forms are extremely dangerous and a person suffering from any type of this disorder should seek medical attention as quickly as possible.
For more information on pulmonary hypertension, or on PPH, contact the PPH attorneys of Williams Kherkher today.Joseph Devine
