www.PHAssociation.org

COULD YOU HAVE PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION? An educational checklist for patients

1) Have you ever been told you have pulmonary hypertension? Yes____ No____

The following are symptoms associated with, but not specific to pulmonary arterial

hypertension: shortness of breath with exertion, unexplained tiredness (fatigue), chest

discomfort, lightheadedness, palpitations, fainting (syncope), leg/ankle swelling (edema).

2) Do you have the following condition that may be a risk for pulmonary arterial

hypertension?

___ Scleroderma

___ Systemic lupus erythematosus

___ Other connective tissue or autoimmune disease

___ Congenital heart condition

___ Liver disease or chronic hepatitis

___ HIV infection

___ Family history of pulmonary arterial hypertension (previously termed PPH)

If you have ever used Fen-Phen, Redux, Pondimin, or Methamphetamines,

you are also at risk for developing pulmonary arterial hypertension.

3) Other health conditions or chronic illnesses can be associated with other forms of

pulmonary hypertension, and may mimic signs and symptoms of pulmonary arterial

hypertension. Have you ever had any of the following?

___ Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)

___ Heart valve repair or replacement

___ Congestive heart failure (CHF)

___ COPD or asthma

___ Pulmonary fibrosis

___ Obstructive sleep apnea

___ Pulmonary embolism (PE)

___ Deep venous thrombosis (DVT)

___ Sarcoidosis

Please see the back of this flyer for more information.

www.PHAssociation.org

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a form of pulmonary hypertension (elevated

pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs) that can lead to right-sided heart failure.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a chronic and progressive, yet treatable disease.

If you answered "yes" to any of the questions in section one or two on the front of this page,

you may have a risk factor or suffer from an associated condition related to pulmonary

hypertension. This does not necessarily mean that you have the disease, but you may want to

discuss the possibility of pulmonary arterial hypertension with your healthcare provider.

You and your healthcare provider may decide to look further into the possibility of

pulmonary arterial hypertension. Initial steps could include an echocardiogram (to look at

your heart), or a referral to see a pulmonologist (lung specialist) or a cardiologist (heart

specialist).

The more common conditions listed under question number three on the front of this page

are occasionally confused with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Sometimes this leads to a

misdiagnosis (of PAH) and even inappropriate treatment with medications specifically

designed and approved for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Accordingly, you and your

healthcare provider should be aware of the importance and challenges of properly diagnosing

or excluding pulmonary arterial hypertension.