PAH
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a subgroup of pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension is caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the lungs. PAH can damage the right part of the heart making it unable to efficiently circulate blood around the body. It can lead to heart failure and can be fatal.
“PAH is a rare cardiopulmonary disease and patients should be treated in expert centres. In recent years, novel therapies for PAH have improved not only the quality of life and symptoms but also morbidity and mortality. It’s vital that we collect data on these conditions at a national and international level so we can understand the course of the disease and how different treatments are working.” Mona Lichtblau, Pulmonologist at the Dept of Pneumology, University Hospital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
PAH in numbers
*in the WHO European Region in 2023
**the societal economic cost of respiratory disease is generated using DALYs and the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, to give a cost of the healthy years of life lost to help guide decision-making around health interventions. Visit the methodology section to learn more about this calculation.
The charts below present data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD). To find out more about how this data is put together, visit the methodology page. There are limitations to using GBD data and estimates need to be interpreted with caution. Data will be updated every 2 years and other sources may be provided to give an accurate representation of lung health in Europe.
All charts are freely available to download by clicking the three dots in the top right hand corner. Please reference Lung Facts when sharing.
“Up-to-date and reliable information is crucial to better understand the disease and provide solutions – including medical therapies and self-management tools – to ultimately contribute to the better quality of life of the patients. The average time to get an appropriate diagnosis of PH is still three years. Having better knowledge and understanding of the disease might contribute to earlier diagnosis and earlier treatment which is critical for the patients. We need more investments in research, closer cross-border cooperation and higher level of data sharing.”
PHA Europe.
“Like every patient, I am worried about my future. When we have data about a disease, we can understand the state of PH in Europe. This adds to the belief that we have a future and I understand which direction to move. More investment and national respiratory plans are crucial to improve the time to diagnosis and the quality of life and life expectancy for PH patients.”
Oksana K Skaara, who has experience of living with PH.