Pulmonary hypertension associated with left-sided heart disease

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized hemodynamically by significantly elevated pulmonary artery pressure, which if sustained can result in clinical deterioration due to progressive right-sided heart failure and death. Establishing the etiology of PH in a patient before treatment is imperative. Effective evidence-based therapeutic agents for treating PH have been developed. However, appropriately powered, randomized trials in PH associated with left-sided heart failure are sparse, and those that have been performed have shown no benefit or harm. An improved understanding of the pathophysiology, definition, and development of new therapies for treating PH associated with left-sided heart failure is urgently needed.