The right ventricle in pulmonary hypertension

• Published in: Coronary artery disease Vol. 16; no. 1; p. 13
• Main Authors: Chin, Kelly M, Kim, Nick H S, Rubin, Lewis J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01.02.2005
• Subjects: Cardiac Output; Chronic Disease; Drug Therapy, Combination; Epoprostenol - therapeutic use; Female; Heart Failure - etiology; Heart Failure - physiopathology; Heart Function Tests; Heart Ventricles - anatomy & histology; Humans; Hypertension, Pulmonary - complications; Hypertension, Pulmonary - diagnosis; Male; Prognosis; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Stroke Volume - physiology; Sulfonamides - therapeutic use; Survival Rate; Treatment Outcome; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right - complications; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right - diagnosis; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right - drug therapy; Ventricular Function
• ISSN: 0954-6928
• DOI: 10.1097/00019501-200502000-00003

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a term used to classify a variety of conditions that share in common an injury to the pulmonary vasculature that produces elevations in pulmonary arterial pressure. However, it is the integrity of right ventricular function, rather than the degree of vascular injury, that is the major determinant of symptoms and survival in PAH. The article will review the normal structure and function of the right ventricle and summarize the impact of PAH and its treatments on right ventricular function.