World Pulmonary Hypertension Day 2016: 2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension

Each year on May 5, pulmonary hypertension organizations and groups around the world participate in World Pulmonary Hypertension Day activities to raise awareness of this often-misdiagnosed disease and celebrate the lives of people living with PH. World PH Day brings global attention to the importance of improving the quality of life and life expectancy of the more than 25 million people living with PH worldwide.

Objectives

During the celebration of World PH Day, pulmonary hypertension organizations work to:

• Increase awareness and disseminate knowledge of the disease to facilitate early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is important in decreasing premature PH-related deaths.
• Promote access to specific healthcare and treatments that increase quality of life and life expectancy.
• Promote the concept of treating PH patients as a whole, which includes treating their physical, psychological and social issues.
• Unify international criteria for the recognition of Centers of Excellence in PH.
• Promote research that will help find the cure for pulmonary hypertension.

Members of the pulmonary hypertension community worldwide also organize and take part in a wide variety of awareness-raising events, actions and celebrations.

History 

In 2012, a program and a scientific symposium were held in Madrid, Spain as the first World PH Day celebration. The day was officially endorsed by 22 patient associations, 10 rare and affiliated disease organizations, and 8 scientific societies.

May 5 was originally chosen as World PH Day because it is the anniversary of the first child's death in Spain from pulmonary hypertension as a result of toxic rapeseed oil more than 30 years ago. This year, the May 5 date was upheld as World PH Day by popular consensus, and events are planned worldwide.

2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension

Guidelines summarize and evaluate all available evidence on a particular issue at the time of the writing process, with the aim of assisting health professionals in selecting the best management strategies for an individual patient with a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk–benefit ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines and recommendations should help health professionals to make decisions in their daily practice. However, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the responsible health professional(s) in consultation with the patient and caregiver as appropriate.

Free full text of Guidelines:

http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2015/08/30/13993003.01032-2015

2015 Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension

2015 ESC/ERS Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension was presented by the the Joint Task Force for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Respiratory Society (ERS), endorsed by: Association for European Paediatric and Congenital Cardiology (AEPC), International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT).

Guidelines summarize and evaluate all available evidence on a particular issue at the time of the writing process, with the aim of assisting health professionals in selecting the best management strategies for an individual patient with a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk–benefit ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines and recommendations should help health professionals to make decisions in their daily practice. However, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the responsible health professional(s) in consultation with the patient and caregiver as appropriate. 

Free full text:

http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2015/08/28/13993003.01032-2015.extract?papetoc

Blue Lip Kiss challenge is raising awareness for pulmonary hypertension

Dear Respiratory Friends,

Respiratory Decade is supporting the Blue Lip Kiss challenge, initiated by Cordelia Skuldt! 

Cordelia Skuldt has had pulmonary hypertension since she was 4. She is here to challenge you today to take the Blue Lip Kiss challenge to raise awareness and money for this horrible disease.
Here are the steps you can take:

1. Take a photo of yourself with blue lips, and post it on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest and Instagram) using the #PHaware and #bluelipkiss. Lipstick is not necessary (you can draw blue lips on your photo or just make them out of blue paper). This is the part when you can get creative.

2. Nominate and challenge others to take this challenge.

3. To learn more about pulmonary hypertension, or to donate money, go to http://facebook.com/BlueLipKissforPH/

Please set your social networking post sharing to public so Cordelia can tally the numbers, and don't forget to add the #PHaware and #bluelipkiss hashtags!!

Pulmonary Hypertension like a “medical zebra”

Today is World Pulmonary Hypertension Day 2014!

Doctors often see patients with shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness and fatigue. Often they diagnose this as asthma, sleep apnea or COPD. But sometimes these common symptoms indicate a rare and serious disease -- pulmonary hypertension (PH). PH is treatable, but because of misdiagnosis, many patients receive care too late. 

 

World Pulmonary Hypertension Day 2014

5 May is World Pulmonary Hypertension Day!

The recognition and declaration of a World Pulmonary Hypertension Day is a step forward in the consolidation of a worldwide PH awareness. World PH Day will focus on the importance of improving the quality of life and life expectancy of more than 25 million people living with PH worldwide. Pulmonary hypertension can be a fatal disease that is difficult to diagnose. There are many types of PH, including idiopathic and hereditary PH, which are considered rare diseases. However, PH is most commonly the result of other health problems.

Regardless of type, pulmonary hypertension is defined as an increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins or pulmonary capillaries, together known as the lung vasculature. It is a severe disease with a markedly decreased exercise tolerance; pulmonary hypertension can also eventually lead to heart failure.

Objectives

During the celebration of World PH Day the patients' organizations will launch messages on the need to:

• Increase awareness and disseminate knowledge of the disease to facilitate early diagnosis. Early diagnosis is important in decreasing premature PH-related deaths.
• Promote access to specific healthcare and treatments that increase quality of life and life expectancy.
• Promote the concept of treating PH patients as a whole, which includes treating their physical, psychological and social issues.
• Unify international criteria for the recognition of Centers of Excellence in PH.
• Promote research that will help find the cure for pulmonary hypertension.

History

In 2012, a program and a scientific symposium were held in Madrid, Spain as the first World PH Day celebration. The day was officially endorsed by 22 patient associations, 10 rare and affiliated disease organizations, and 8 scientific societies.

May 5 was originally chosen as World PH Day because it is the anniversary of the first child's death in Spain from pulmonary hypertension as a result of toxic rapeseed oil more than 30 years ago. 

Guidelines:

ERS school course on pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular disease, Lausanne 2012

At the end of June, I participated in European Respiratory Society (ERS) School dedicated to Pulmonary Hypertension and Pulmonary Vascular Disease, which took place at Lausanne, Switzerland. 

This course was designed to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of pulmonary hypertension and pulmonary vascular disease and to understand the processes of diagnosis and management of the various pulmonary vascular conditions.
The ERS course was prepared and organised by world-known faculty: Professors A. Peacock (UK), R. Naeije (Belgium) and S. Gaine (Ireland).

ERS School on Pulmonary Hypertension at Lausanne, Switzerland on 30 June 2012 - with Professor Robert Naeije (Belgium), Hoppenot D. (Lithuania), Professor Michele DAlto (Italy), Rusakova O. (Russia), Maneikiene V. (Lithuania), Irina Starodubtseva (Russia), Professor Andrew Peacock (UK), Leyla Ismayilova (Azerbaijan), Alina Badea (Romania) and Alexandru Corlateanu (Moldova).

The course also discussed diagnostic techniques and new treatment modalities to help physicians managing their patients in association with their pulmonary hypertension centres.

In very short time all presentations from this Course will be published on official site of ERS: www.ersnet.org.

 World Spirometry Day 2012 in Lausanne

World Pulmonary Hypertension Day

Today for the first time we will celebrate World Pulmonary Hypertension Day!

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by elevated pulmonary arterial pressure and secondary right ventricular failure. It is a life-threatening condition with a poor prognosis if untreated. The symptoms of PAH are nonspecific and include breathlessness, fatigue, weakness, angina, syncope and abdominal distension.

The Spanish National Pulmonary Hypertension Association proposed May 5 as World Pulmonary Hypertension Day to increase international awareness of the disease. On May 4 and 5, the ANHP will organize scientific symposia on pharmacological treatments, PH registers, and multidisciplinary support for patients.  

The ANHP aims to use the day to “disseminate knowledge of the disease to facilitate early diagnosis, promote access to specific healthcare and treatments that increase quality of life and life expectancy, promote the concept of treating PH patients as a whole— which includes treating their physical, psychological, and social issues—unify international criteria for the recognition of Centers of Excellence in PH, and promote research that will help find a cure for PH.” 

These days I am participating at International Conference which is dedicated to World Pulmonary Hypertension Day with launch of Romanian National Program for the diagnosis and treatment of Pulmonary Hypertension at Iasi, Romania.