Pulmonary Hypertension and Heart Failure: A Dangerous Liaison

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a common hemodynamic evolution of heart failure (HF) with preserved or reduced ejection fraction, responsible for congestion, symptoms worsening, exercise limitation, and negative outcome. In HF of any origin, PH develops in response to a passive backward pressure transmission as result of increased left atrial pressure. Sustained pressure injury and chronic venous congestion can trigger pulmonary vasoconstriction and vascular remodeling, leading to irreversible pulmonary vascular disease, right ventricular hypertrophy, and failure. In this article, the key determinants of this "dangerous liaison" are analyzed with some digressions on related "leitmotiv" at the horizon.

Keywords: Heart failure; Left atrial pressure; Mean pulmonary artery pressure; Pulmonary hypertension; Pulmonary vascular resistance; Right heart dysfunction.