Prepared By Division of Lung Diseases and Office of Prevention, Education, and Control National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Reprinted without permission.
Some patients do well by taking medicines that make the work of the right ventricle easier.
Anticoagulants, for example, can decrease the tendency of the blood to clot, thereby permitting blood to flow more freely. Diuretics decrease the amount of fluid in the body, further reducing the amount of work the heart has to do. Until recently, nothing more could be done for people who have primary pulmonary hypertension. However, today doctors can choose from a variety of drugs that help lower blood pressure in the lungs and improve the performance of the heart in many patients. In severely affected cases, a heart-lung, single lung, or double lung transplantation may be appropriate.