Study challenges standards for pulmonary hypertension

Episode # 77
Uploaded: November 14, 2011
Running Time: 02:49

CROWN: From the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, this is CLINICAL CENTER RADIO.

Pulmonary hypertension is a rare and complicated disease. In regular hypertension, or high blood pressure, the arteries throughout a person’s body are constricted. But in pulmonary hypertension, it’s the person’s lungs that are affected. The blood vessels in the lungs become narrowed and the heart has to work harder to pump blood through them. 

Scientists still aren’t sure in many cases what causes pulmonary hypertension. But for many years, treatment options often included medications and lifestyle changes that limited rigorous exercise, for fear of straining the heart. Now, a team at the NIH Clinical Center has challenged that notion and produced interesting research findings that suggest people with pulmonary hypertension may actually benefit from an intensive exercise program.

Rehabilitation Medicine Department Chief Dr. Leighton Chan describes the project, which recently earned his team the Alfred Soffer Research Award in the category of outstanding original research from the American College of Chest Physicians.

CHAN: It’s 25 to 30 minutes of treadmill training. And they exercise at 70 to 80 percent of heart rate reserve. Essentially, you put somebody on a treadmill, you find out what their max heart rate is, and get about 70 percent of that…Individuals who got the exercise increased the amount they could walk in six minutes by 60 meters, which is almost double what we would consider an important finding.

CROWN: While some study participants trained on treadmills and also received health-related education, another group received education only. The study found those who received the combination of exercise and education made greater improvements.

CHAN: We also found that they could exercise longer before they went into what we call anaerobic metabolism. All of their quality of life measures have improved, with the exception of a couple which are trending that way. Whereas if you look at the education group, [we see] not much change at all. 

CROWN: Dr. Chan said they will need to do larger-scale studies with more people to see how this approach could translate to clinical application. So far, however, the results are encouraging, especially for participants who have gained a better physical conditioning and reduced stress.

CHAN: For some individuals, it can be life-altering.

CROWN: From America's Clinical Research Hospital, this has been CLINICAL CENTER RADIO. In Bethesda, Maryland, I'm Ellen Crown, at the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

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