Pulmonary hypertension: echocardiographic assessment

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) presents with elevated vascular resistance, often diagnosed late and linked to poor prognosis.
• Echocardiography is crucial for early PAH detection and functional heart assessment.
• Accurate surveillance and prognostic stratification are vital for managing PAH.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the role of echocardiography in early Pulmonary arterial hypertension detection.
• To emphasize echocardiography's utility in functional heart evaluation for PAH patients.
• To improve patient surveillance and prognostic stratification in PAH.

Main Methods:

• Pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) estimation for PAH detection.
• Utilizing a widely accepted PASP cut-off value (36 mmHg) for mild PAH surveillance.
• Characterizing morphologic and hemodynamic changes via dimensional parameters, ventricular interdependency, and intracardiac flow patterns.

Main Results:

• Echocardiography enables early detection of Pulmonary arterial hypertension.
• A PASP of 36 mmHg is a common threshold for increased surveillance.
• Assessment of right ventricular systolic performance and other cardiac parameters provides functional insights.

Conclusions:

• Echocardiography is a valuable tool for early Pulmonary arterial hypertension detection and monitoring.
• Functional heart evaluation through echocardiography supports clinical decision-making in PAH.
• Improved echocardiographic assessment can enhance patient outcomes and heart failure management in PAH.