Summary
This article for the European Heart Journal Supplements has been written by two pulmonary arterial hypertension patients who describe the patient experience and explore the ways in which patients are increasingly being given a voice in developing approaches to treatment. As patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension are living longer, it is important that they work with healthcare professionals to develop treatment strategies that improve and maintain quality of life. Healthcare professionals should consider a holistic approach to disease management, including dietary recommendations, individually adapted exercise, and options for counselling where available, alongside therapeutic treatments. Despite huge progresses made in past years in pulmonary hypertension care, patients still report delays in receiving a diagnosis, say the authors, which is a significant burden associated with the disease, and which shows a general lack of disease awareness.
Citation
Pisana Ferrari, Hall Skåra, “My life with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a patient perspective”, European Heart Journal Supplements, Volume 21, Issue Supplement_K, December 2019, Pages K54–K59, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/suz208
Full text of the article can be downloaded on the European Heart Journal Supplements web page at this link