Frequently Asked Questions

People who are diagnosed with PAH are commonly in their 20s and 30s, and women are 3 times more likely to be affected than men.³

While there is currently no cure for PAH, the understanding of this disease and the number of treatment options has grown rapidly over the past two decades.

PAH can be hereditary, associated with congenital heart disease, associated with connective tissue diseases such as scleroderma, or caused by certain drugs.⁶

PAH is a rare disease that is estimated to affect 140,000 individuals worldwide.¹

Several tests can be helpful in ruling out conditions that might have similar symptoms to pulmonary arterial hypertension, but a right heart catheterization is the only way to definitively diagnose PAH.⁶

PAH is high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. This results from changes in the cells that line your lungs' arteries. The arteries narrow, causing high pressure and decreased blood flow from the heart to the lungs. The heart must then pump harder, causing the walls on the right side of the heart to thicken. These changes make it hard for the heart to push blood through the arteries and into the lungs. This causes pressure in the arteries to rise, and the heart may become so weak that it can't pump enough blood to the lungs. This can ultimately cause heart failure.⁴

Healthcare provider visits should be scheduled every 3 months for severe cases and every 3–6 months for less severe cases.⁶ Your healthcare provider will determine appropriate follow up visits for you.

People with PAH may be able to exercise; however, they should do so only with the permission and following the recommendations of their physician.