Experts from Peking Union Medical College Hospital appealed: patients with pulmonary hypertension should not stop taking medicine after their symptoms improve
Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 5th (Reporter Tian Xiaohang) On May 5th every year, various places around the world will carry out various activities to raise the awareness and attention of the society to diseases such as pulmonary hypertension. Professor Jing Zhicheng, director of the Department of Cardiology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, recommends that patients with pulmonary hypertension should go to the specialist center for standard treatment as soon as possible, insist on regular follow-up, and avoid stopping the medicine after the symptoms have improved.
Pulmonary hypertension was once called "cancer of the cardiopulmonary vascular system". The patient's pulmonary artery is gradually occluded and the vascular resistance is significantly increased, resulting in increased pulmonary artery pressure. If not treated in time, it will lead to heart failure and even death. From diagnosis to death, it used to be only two and a half years. However, long-term drug therapy, especially combination therapy, can significantly improve the 5-year and 10-year survival rates of patients with pulmonary hypertension. With China's increasing emphasis on pulmonary hypertension, patients have more and more opportunities to receive standardized treatment.
"Pulmonary hypertension patients should be followed up and evaluated by specialists for a long time. Early (3 to 6 months) patients have good treatment effects, and many patients stop taking drugs by themselves, which is very dangerous." Jing Zhicheng said that patients who can follow up actively and regularly can often get early Finding signs of deterioration of the condition and giving timely treatment adjustments and interventions are of great value in improving long-term prognosis. He also introduced that in order to facilitate the follow-up of the majority of patients, the Peking Union Medical College Hospital Cardiology Department will soon open a special clinic for pulmonary vascular disease, and senior experts will visit every day from Monday to Friday.
At present, medical staff and the public still lack understanding of pulmonary hypertension. According to Jing Zhicheng, at least one-fifth of patients have been diagnosed for at least two years from the onset of symptoms, and more than half of the patients have entered a state of severe heart failure when they are diagnosed. Therefore, whether patients can see the doctor as soon as possible and obtain timely and standardized treatment is crucial.
Jing Zhicheng said that people with high risk of pulmonary hypertension, such as patients with rheumatic immune diseases, AIDS, portal hypertension, hemolytic anemia, and congenital heart disease, as well as patients with oral contraceptives and weight loss pills, must appear as soon as possible after the emergence of "shortness of breath after activity" Screen for pulmonary hypertension. Patients should be transferred to a specialist or team of pulmonary vascular diseases as soon as possible for professional diagnosis and evaluation and professional treatment. After diagnosis, targeted treatment should be carried out according to the cause and clinical classification. At the same time, once the diagnosis is confirmed, it should also be screened for genetic diseases and diagnosed and treated early.