PPH (Primary Pulmonary Hypertension) is unfortunately reaching epidemic proportions in this country. A once rare problem is becoming much more prevalent. (Higher pulmonary artery blood pressure causes the heart to work a lot harder to pump sufficient quantities of blood into the lungs. The heart becomes weaker and weaker over time and eventually may fail.) The question has been why.
Researchers have recently determined that the blame for this sudden increase in PPH can be laid at the feet of appetite suppressing drugs like Dexfenfluramine, Aminorex and Fenfluramine. These are the main ingredients in appetite suppressants that you might recognize by the names of Phen Fen, Redux, and Pondimin.
The pressure in the pulmonary artery increases to unacceptable levels that are 30% to 50% higher than normal. This causes subtle changes in the small blood vessels in the lungs. As the small blood vessels shrink in size, resistance to blood flow increases, and it is a lot harder for blood to flow through them. As a result, the blood “backs up” and the pressure increases.
People who suffer from PPH experience several different symptoms like shortness of breath, feeling fatigued, constant pain in the chest, and dizziness. Diagnosing PPH is a rather long elimination-of-other-causes process that can be frustrating to both the doctor as well as the patient.
Because of the connection having been made by scientists and researchers between PPH and appetite suppressants, there has been a great deal of litigation initiated and there will likely be a great deal more to come in the future. There are websites on the Internet where you can read about this litigation and, if you need to, become a part of it. There is no cure for PPH, but early diagnosis and treatment can prolong the life expectancy from a scant 36 months to more than 10 years.
