About Pulmonary Vascular Diseases

Pulmonary vascular disease is the medical term for disease affecting the blood vessels leading to or from the lungs. Most forms of pulmonary vascular disease cause shortness of breath. There are two main types of pulmonary vascular diseases: pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary Embolism occurs due to blood clots which block branches of the arteries in the lungs, often following thrombosis in the veins of the leg or elsewhere.

Pulmonary Hypertension is caused by high blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which carry blood from the heart to the lungs. It 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.