Evolution of Exercise Training in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension-A Comprehensive Review

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a progressive, multifactorial syndrome characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and right heart dysfunction, associated with significant morbidity, impaired quality of life, and poor prognosis. Advances in classification, hemodynamic definitions, and targeted pharmacotherapies have improved understanding and management, yet therapeutic challenges persist across the five World Health Organization groups of PH. Historically, exercise was discouraged due to concerns about adverse hemodynamic effects, but growing evidence has suggested that structured, supervised training is safe and beneficial. Randomized trials and meta-analyses show improvements in six-minute walk distance, peak oxygen uptake, right ventricular function, ventilatory efficiency, and health-related quality of life, with a low incidence of adverse events. Physiological adaptations include favorable cardiac remodeling, enhanced endothelial function, improved skeletal and respiratory muscle performance, and improved neurohormonal activity. Despite this evidence, barriers such as patient fears, limited clinical expertise, and restricted access to specialized rehabilitation programs hinder widespread implementation. Current guidelines recommend supervised exercise as part of pulmonary rehabilitation for patients with stable PH, supporting its role as an adjunct to pharmacotherapy. This descriptive review briefly summarizes the pathophysiology of PH, phenotype-related differences and current therapeutic approaches, and the beneficial adaptations to exercise training, with the aim of informing exercise specialists and supporting safer, more effective integration of exercise-based rehabilitation into patient care.