PPH: Types of Treatment

The treatments for primary pulmonary hypertension are similar to those for systemic hypertension. Systemic hypertension is the elevation of blood pressure throughout the body, whereas for patients with PPH, the blood pressure is elevated specifically in the pulmonary artery. For systemic hypertension, a number of different drugs can be used, the most common of which are vasodilators that widen the blood vessels (vasodilate) and help to increase blood flow. Diuretic drugs can also reduce blood pressure by lowering the amount of fluid in the blood and thus requiring less force by the heart to pump the blood. Anticoagulants are common blood pressure lowering drugs. These drugs function by reducing the tendency of the blood to clot, thus allowing the blood to flow more freely.Individual reactions to drugs vary dramatically for PPH patients. As such, different drugs have to be tried before long term treatment begins with a specific drug. Further, during the course of the disease, the drug treatment regimen may have to be changed. In some cases, to find out which drugs work best for each patient, physicians treat patients with different drugs during cardiac catheterization.