World Health Organization Pulmonary Hypertension Group 2: Pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease in the adult—a summary statement from the Pulmonary Hypertension Council of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease is the most common form of pulmonary hypertension encountered in clinical practice today. Although frequently a target of therapy, its pathophysiology remains poorly understood and its treatment remains undefined. Pulmonary hypertension in the context of left heart disease is a marker of worse prognosis and disease severity, but whether its primary treatment is beneficial or harmful is unknown. An important step to the future study of this important clinical problem will be to standardize definitions across disciplines to facilitate an evidence base that is interpretable and applicable to clinical practice. In this current statement, we provide an extensive review and interpretation of the current available literature to guide current practice and future investigation. At the request of the Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Council of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), a writing group was assembled and tasked to put forth this document as described above. The review process was facilitated through the peer review process of the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation and ultimately endorsed by the leadership of the ISHLT PH Council.