PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION

Abstract

The article introduces to current „Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension“ (PAH) classification, revised at the 3rd World Symposium on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension held in Venice, in 2003. Reveals the causes and risk factors of this disease. The attention is payed to genetic predisposition of PAH etiology, principal causes in the aspect of pathogenesis. This article also reviews pathogenesis, clinical assessment, general treatment options (physical activity, prevention of infections and others), conventional pharmaceutical treatment (the use of supplemental oxygen, anticoagulants, diuretics, increasing and successful use of prostacyclins and its analogues, endothelin-1 receptor antagonists, phosphodiesterase inhibitors).