Causes
Genes and other medical conditions are known to cause pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Some conditions will change, damage, or block the blood vessels, raising your blood pressure. Pulmonary hypertension (PH), however, is when your blood pressure is raised within the pulmonary arteries. In many cases, the cells has changed—thickening and stiffening. Excess tissue may form, causing restricted blood flow.
Pulmonary hypertension is dangerous for this reason. The pulmonary artery is connected the heart’s right ventricle and the lungs. When the artery is congested, the heart must work harder to transport blood into the lungs for oxygenation, thus raising blood pressure within the lungs.
There are four known groups of common causes of PAH:
• Group 1: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH). When the cause is unknown, it is known as idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.
• Group 2: Pulmonary hypertension from left-sided heart disease, such as aortic valve disease or mitral valve issues
• Group 3: Pulmonary hypertension from lung diseases
• Group 4: PH caused by conditions for uncertain reasons, such as metabolic disorders, tumors, conditions affecting organ systems, and blood disorders.
