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Posts Tagged ‘Primary Pulmonary’

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, commonly referred to as PPH, is caused by an increased pressure within the pulmonary arteries which carry blood from your heart to your lungs. This eventually leads to the thickening of the arteries and narrowing of the arterial passageways, which further obstruct the flow of blood.

In an effort to compensate for poor circulation, the right side of your heart becomes enlarged, and the extra work the heart must do can eventually cause right-sided heart failure. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension complications can occur in the form of liver failure, kidney failure, or heart failure.

While the specific cause of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is not known, there are a variety of causes which have been found to contribute to Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. One of these is the appetite suppressant known as Fen-Phen, which has been shown to constrict or narrow the pulmonary artery.

Fen-Phen was prescribed as a weight loss drug in the 1960s, and it is estimated that over 20 million people were found to use Fen-Phen in their weight loss treatment. However, due to an overwhelming occurrence of abnormal echocardiograms, the FDA was forced to take the drug Fen-Phen off the market in 1997.

Studies commenced regarding the use of Fen-Phen as it related to Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, and it was found that there was a direct relationship between this drug and vascular heart disease and Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Unfortunately, even though patients stopped taking the diet drug Fen-Phen, they were already marked for developing this disease.

Medical experts have noted that there was a potential latency of ten or more years between the last date on which the patient was exposed to the drug Fen-Phen and the time at which the patient developed the first symptoms of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Thus, cases of PPH continue to occur today in those people who had taken Fen-Phen alone or in combination with other weight loss drugs.

Moreover, there have been a myriad of lawsuits against the drug company, and many patients have sought a Primary Pulmonary Hypertension lawyer who specializes in this specific area to seek compensation for, and as a result of, PPH complications which occurred.

It is revealed that women are five times more likely than men to develop PPH. While there are often no symptoms of this disease until the condition is advanced, the main symptom is swollen ankles. In addition, your skin may have a bluish tinge because the blood contains less oxygen that it should.

The low oxygen content of the blood stimulates the production of more red blood cells. When the red cell count becomes too great, the blood becomes thicker and harder to push through the small vessels of the lung, further increasing the pulmonary artery blood pressure and decreasing the cardiac output.

Primary Pulmonary Hypertension complications can cause right-sided heart failure. If you have been experiencing breathlessness because of underlying lung disease, PPH is likely to make you even more breathless, and you may also experience other symptoms associated with right-sided heart failure.

One of the symptoms of right-sided heart failure is fatigue and swelling of the lowest part of your body from accumulation of fluid. Some of the signs you should look for is if you are up and about, your ankles may swell. If you are bedridden, the swelling will be most noticeable in the lower part of your back.

Internal organs such as the liver can also become swollen, and this can result in abdominal pain. Additional Primary Pulmonary Hypertension complications can occur in the form of congestive heart failure, which is when both the right and left side of the heart fail.

If you were prescribed Fen-Phen for weight loss, and are now exhibiting symptoms of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, you should contact a PPH lawyer. You are entitled to seek damages by utilizing the services of a PPH lawyer. If either you or someone you know has suffered damages related to the use of Fen-Phen, including Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, it is important to proceed with claims to recover damages with the assistance of a PPH lawyer. You can receive compensation for pain and suffering, lost earnings, medical expenses, and punitive damages.

Unfortunately, since Fen-Phen was taken off the market, there are millions of people who have reported symptoms associated with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Make no mistake; this condition can be deadly as it affects the primary heart muscles which can lead to heart failure.

If you are suffering ill effects of the drug Fen-Phen, it is incumbent upon you to seek a pulmonary specialist who can diagnose your condition and determine the extent of PPH. It is further advised that you contact a PPH lawyer immediately.

Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.jbclawfirm.com for a free case evaluation.

According to research and studies which are on-going, there is reason to hope the prognosis for individuals with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is variable. Individuals with PPH report they can go about their daily lives by incorporating changes to their lifestyles. Although the survival rate is longer for those without heart failure as well as for those who are diagnosed by a PPH doctor after the age of 40, the survival rate in general is approximately three years.

The dialogue and research continue for those who are diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Unfortunately, the cause of this dreaded disease is still unknown. While Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is a well described but poorly understood illness, it is nonetheless a disease of the small muscular pulmonary arteries in which lesions involving cells obstruct flow.

Although there is current therapy using vasodilator drugs, especially calcium channel blockers, which have improved the quality of life in a minority of patients; heart-lung transplantation is feasible for only a few. The study of vascular biology in the last several years is likely to provide insight into the cause and cure of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. The areas involved include the cell biology of pulmonary vascular cells. According to researchers, the future looks bright for understanding and treating this difficult and ambiguous disease.

New therapeutic approaches in Primary Pulmonary Hypertension are targeting how to improve drug delivery. The results in patients who have been treated with epoprostenol suggest that Primary Pulmonary Hypertension can be reversed. This is one such drug that is being studied in depth.

Moreover, treatments which are now being developed include thromboxane-systhesis inhibitors and receptor antagonists, specific phosphodiesterase inhibitors, endothelin-receptor antagonists, and prostacyclin analogues. Cicaprost, which is an oral prostacyclin and is used in Japan, is being studied for its long term efficacy. Inhalation therapy with iloprost is being tested in a large study in Europe.

A new long-acting analogue of prostacyclin called 15AU81 is also under development. Another study revealed that improved survival with the drug Remodulin therapy rose as much as 68% for a 4 year survival rate.
Newer vasodilator agents and modes of administration continue to evolve and improve the quality of life of individuals suffering with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. For patients with severe and symptomatic pulmonary hypertension, unresponsive to medical therapy, lung transplantation continues to be an effective, life-saving therapy.

While treatment in individuals with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is critical, the prognosis has been already defined. The problem, however, stems from the fact that the onset of symptoms is latent, albeit 10 years, and for those who do not show any symptoms, especially those individuals who took Fen-Phen as a weight loss supplement. There is no way to determine if one has been affected by the disease.

Although there is certainly enough evidence to support the assertion that Fen-Phen was the primary cause of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, the difficulty in diagnosing it in an early stage by a PPH doctor is impossible.

Certainly one can notify their PPH doctor that they have been taking the drug Fen-Phen, and perhaps monitoring the individual on a regular basis can help in determining if PPH is present. Unfortunately, the only way to actually determine if the disease is present is through a series of tests and waiting it out.

The old adage, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” seems apropos at this time. In cases where Fen-Phen was consumed by the public, they can certainly contact a PPH lawyer to discuss litigation. Moreover, in those cases where pregnant moms took anti-depressants which resulted in a birth defect to their newborns, this too can be litigated by a PPH lawyer.

While current resources are available to any individual suffering with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, it doesn’t negate the fact that their long term prognosis, as of this moment, is not great. One would hope that all of the research that is on-going throughout the US and the world will come to find a drug or a cure at some point.

File a lawsuit with a PPH lawyer is important in several respects. It puts the pharmaceutical companies on notice that more studies and trials should be conducted to ensure the drugs they sell will not ultimately harm the user. While these companies continue to dole out drugs, for which side effects are ever present, people are suffering ill affects and are at the mercy of the doctors.

In the case of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, consulting a PPH lawyer is not only vital, but should be a mandatory action taken by everyone who has ever been affected by a drug or an anti-depressant that has caused severe illness or loss of life.

Nick Johnson is lead counsel with Johnson Law Group. Johnson represents plaintiffs in many states and focuses on injury cases involving Fen-Phen and PPH, Paxil, Mesothelioma and Nursing Home Abuse. Call Nick Johnson at 1-888-311-5522 or visit http://www.jbclawfirm.com