Bringing Attention To A Rare Lung Disease

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

National Awareness Campaign Bringing Attention To A Rare Lung Disease @ (NAPSA)—Anew national dis- ease awareness campaigncalled “Faces of PAH”is bringing atten- tion to a rare, underrecognized lung disease known as pulmonaryarterial hypertension (PAH). Created by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA), the leading PAH advocacy organization, “Faces of PAH”seeksto raise PAH’sprofile in the United States, and provide insight into both the medical and personal aspects of this life-threatening disease. Theinitiative focuses on the stories of PAH patients through a series of doctor/patient interviews with national and local media. “Faces of PAH” patient ambassadors will highlight their experience with the disease, while thought-leading PAH doctors will provide an overview of symptoms, diagnosis and treatments. PAH causes high blood pressure in the lungs due to narrowing and stiffening of the vessels that supply blood to the lungs. As these arteries become increasingly constricted, less blood is able to flow out of the right side of the heart for re-oxygenation in the lungs. The heart must pump harder to overcome the resistance, and this stress causes it to enlarge and lose pumping strength, leading to worsening of symptoms and, ultimately, heart failure. Symptomsof PAH include: Breathlessness or shortness of breath Fatigue Dizzy spells Fainting Chest pain, especially during physical activity Swollen ankles andlegs. PAH afflicts hundreds of thousands of people worldwide, but it is estimated that many of these individuals have not been diagnosed and are not receiving treatment. The disease can affect peo- www. phassociation.org “Faces of PAH”is raising aware- ness of pulmonaryarterial hyper- tension nationwide. ple of all ages and backgrounds, but primarily occurs in those 20 to AO years old and is more prevalent in women than men. “PAH has a history of being overlooked and misunderstood by most Americans,” said Rino Aldrighetti, Pulmonary Hyperten- sion Association President. “Faces of PAH’ will share the stories of heroic PAH patients and their families in an effort to in- crease understanding of this debilitating disease.” The Pulmonary Hypertension Association is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit membership organization with a mission to seek a cure for pulmonary hypertension and provide hope for the pulmonary hypertension community. The “Faces of PAH” campaign is made possible by an unrestricted grant from Encysive Pharmaceuticals. For more information, please contact the Pulmonary Hypertension Association toll-free at (866) 4744742, or you can visit the Website at www.phassociation.org.

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