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Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Is it the Result or Cause of Disease Progression?

  • Prevention of Heart Failure (M. St. John Sutton, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The purpose of this review is to define pulmonary hypertension in the setting of left heart disease (PH-LHD), discuss its epidemiology and pathophysiology, and highlight the cause and effect relationship it has with disease progression in the setting of cardiomyopathy.

Recent Findings

Both pulmonary hypertension (PH) and heart failure are becoming increasingly common. As such, PH-LHD is now the most common form of PH. The pathophysiology of the condition relates to backward transmission of elevated left ventricular filling pressures into the pulmonary circulation and, ultimately, right ventricular (RV) strain/dysfunction. It is evident that these pathophysiologic processes are both the effect and cause of left heart disease progression.

Summary

In this review, we describe the complex relationship between disease progression in left ventricular cardiomyopathy and PH-LHD. Clinicians and researchers should take note of the importance of PH-LHD and RV dysfunction to appropriately risk stratify patients and develop therapies for the condition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Srinath Adusumalli & Jeremy A. Mazurek

  2. Department of Medicine, Advanced Heart Failure/Transplantation and Pulmonary Hypertension Programs, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Jeremy A. Mazurek

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  1. Srinath Adusumalli
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Correspondence to Jeremy A. Mazurek.

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Adusumalli, S., Mazurek, J.A. Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Is it the Result or Cause of Disease Progression?. Curr Heart Fail Rep 14, 507–513 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11897-017-0368-2

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