Causes of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

While there may be one or more causes of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension, recent studies have found certain anti-depressant medications and weight loss suppressants are the known culprits. Most people who are diagnosed with this disease are sensitive to certain internal or external factors which constrict the blood vessels when exposed to these factors.

Case in point: Raynaud's disease is a condition in which the fingers and toes turn blue when cold because the blood vessels in the fingers and toes are particularly sensitive to cold. Individuals with Raynaud's disease are more likely to develop Primary Pulmonary Hypertension.

Moreover, diet suppressants such as Fen-Phen, has been the leading agent which has ultimately caused PPH and for which PPH lawsuits are on-going. Other factors contributing to Primary Pulmonary Hypertension include pregnant women who take anti-depressants, specifically Paxil or any of the other more common prescribed anti-depressant medications. Further, this has caused increased litigation among those women whose babies have been born with serious defects or, in some cases, died.

It is important to point out how PPH begins. It starts with injury to the layer of cells that line the small blood vessels of the lungs. As a result, the smooth muscle contracts more than normal and thereby narrows the vessel. The process eventually results in the development of extra amounts of tissue in the walls of the pulmonary arteries.

The amount of muscle increases in some arteries, and muscle appears in the walls of arteries that normally have no muscle. With time, scarring, or fibrosis, of the arteries takes place, and they become stiff as well as thickened. Some vessels may become completely blocked. There is also a tendency for blood clots to form within the smaller arteries.

Due to the demands placed on it by PPH, the heart muscle gets bigger, and the right ventricle expands in size. Becoming overworked and enlarged, the right ventricle gradually becomes weak and loses its ability to pump enough blood to the lungs. Eventually, the right side of the heart may fail completely, resulting in death.

This brings us to the treatment of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension and the drug Fen-Phen. Studies have revealed that treatment with this weight loss supplement increased the risk of PPH by 28 times. Therefore, individuals with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension developed this disease as a direct result of the drug Fen-Phen. Law firms who specialize in pharmaceutical litigation have been deeply involved in PPH lawsuits, and those who have been diagnosed with this disease by a PPH specialist, have sought a PPH attorney to handle such litigation.

Fen-Phen is a combination drug that was introduced for weight loss treatment in the 1990's. It was recalled from the market by the FDA in 1997 because of data showing that this drug caused heart valve damage and PPH. Studies showed that patients who took these appetite suppressants, particularly those whose treatment lasted for more than three months, were much more likely to develop Primary Pulmonary Hypertension.

As mentioned earlier, the anti-depressant Paxil is just one of the known causes of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in babies. This, too, has resulted in women retaining the services of a PPH attorney for the express purpose of filing PPH lawsuits on the newborn mom's behalf.

Pregnant women and those who plan to become pregnant should avoid taking the anti-depressant Paxil if possible because of the risk of birth defects. Two studies of pregnant women who were taking Paxil during their first trimester have shown that their babies have heart defects at a rate that is as much as twice the norm.

However, a conundrum exists. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said the decision whether to treat pregnant women with SSRIs, a class of anti-depressants that includes Prozac, Zoloft and Lexapro as well as Paxil, should be considered on an individual basis.

However, it is clear that exposure to SSRIs late in pregnancy has been associated with short-term complications in newborns. A caveat, however, was also mentioned in that reproductive-age women have the highest prevalence of major depressive disorders. The benefit to the mother of treatment with any of the drugs may outweigh the risk to the fetus.
It is worth reiterating that Paxil, taken when pregnant, does pose a risk to the unborn.

In addition, if you or anyone you know has ever taken Fen-Phen, and are experiencing symptoms, it is vital that you seek a PPH attorney so that he or she can litigate this matter via a PPH lawsuit on your behalf. Moreover, it is important that you consult a PPH specialist immediately. PPH treatments, while they may be unable to stop the progression of the disease, can help to improve your quality of life.