Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a condition marked by high blood pressure in the vessels between the lungs and heart, with a high risk of death if not treated. The disease is often missed or improperly managed in the United States. To address this, the American Lung Association and the Pulmonary Hypertension Association brought together an expert panel to publish new guidance in Pulmonary Circulation.
“People with PH often endure symptoms for months or even years without proper treatment because many of the initial signs and symptoms, such as feeling short of breath or fatigued, are similar to symptoms of other chronic lung diseases,” said Deb Brown, Chief Mission Officer of the American Lung Association. “The ‘Guidance to the Guidelines’ is an integral tool to help healthcare providers who might not be familiar with guideline updates to diagnose PH accurately and quickly to help people living with PH get the correct treatment they need to live longer, more full lives.”
“Delayed diagnosis remains one of the greatest challenges facing people living with pulmonary hypertension. By translating complex clinical guidelines into practical tools for U.S. providers, this guidance represents a meaningful step toward earlier diagnosis, appropriate treatment and better outcomes for patients nationwide,” said Matt Granato, President and CEO of the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
In 2022, new European guidelines were created for diagnosing and treating pulmonary hypertension. These guidelines included recent advances but can be difficult for U.S. healthcare providers to apply due to differences in healthcare systems and patient populations. This led to a need for more accessible resources tailored for U.S. clinicians.
On April 8, 2024, both associations organized a scientific roundtable where experts developed educational materials summarizing current pulmonary arterial hypertension guidelines. The meeting also provided critiques on existing recommendations and offered advice on using new therapies like sotatercept in practice. The result was a set of practical flowcharts designed to aid decision-making for PH diagnosis and management.
Dr. James Klinger from Rhode Island Hospital facilitated the roundtable. He stated: "Significant advances in medical therapies for PAH provide new hope for many patients with this devastating disease. The roundtable provided a unique opportunity for experts in this field to share ideas and outline approaches to how these exciting new therapies can best be utilized to help our patients."
The American Lung Association works nationally through research, education, advocacy efforts, community programs, and funding innovative treatments aimed at improving lung health and preventing diseases such as asthma and COPD (official website). It has contributed significantly to advancements in lung disease prevention (official website) while operating as a nonprofit public health organization headquartered in Chicago since its founding in 1904 (official website).
The executive summary from this roundtable appears in Volume 15, Issue 4 of Pulmonary Circulation.
More information about pulmonary hypertension is available at Lung.org/ph.
