Lack of awareness plays a major role in delaying the treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), which is often misdiagnosed as asthma, congestive heart disease, or chronic bronchitis, paediatric cardiologist Saji Philip says.
Common symptoms like breathlessness and cough often lead to the misdiagnosis of PAH, a deadly variant of Pulmonary Hypertension (PH), he said, addressing the awareness programme organised to observe the World Pulmonary Hypertension Day (PH Day) at the St Gregorios Cardio-Vascular Centre (SGCVC) at Parumala on Tuesday.
PH or PAH is caused by high blood pressure in the lungs.
Life-changing disease
According to him, PAH is a chronic and life-changing disease which can lead to heart failure, if left untreated. PH was a rare, under-diagnosed disease which could strike people from newborns to the elderly at any time. It is caused by high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs that can lead to heart failure.
According to Dr Philip, PAH has an estimated prevalence of 15 to 50 cases per million. PAH has no cure and can be deadly without treatment.
But the hope is though PH is a life-threatening disease, many patients, continue to lead active and fulfilling lives with certain lifestyle changes. With some patience, planning, and flexibility, many people affected by PH could find ways to work, travel, exercise, and do the things they love.
Madhu Paulose and Anand Sreenivasan, cardiologists, also spoke.
