Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month

Floor Speech

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Mr. RASKIN. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and the outstanding work the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) in the fight against the rare and debilitating disease, pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) is high blood pressure that occurs in the arteries of the lungs. It reflects the pressure the heart must apply to pump blood from the heart through the arteries of the lungs. As with a tangled hose, pressure builds up and backs up forcing the heart to work harder and less oxygen to reach the body. PH symptoms generally include fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath with the severity of the disease correlating with its progression. If left undiagnosed or untreated it can lead to heart failure and death.

I am proud to represent the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) headquartered in Silver Spring. PHA is dedicated to extending and improving the life of those affected by PH. PHA was the first organization in the world dedicated to providing comprehensive PH patient and caregiver support; medical education; specialty care services that improve patients' quality of life; and research funding. As a result of PHA's advocacy for continued investment in medical research and sustained scientific progress, there are 14 Food and Drug Administration-approved targeted treatment options for two forms of PH.

When individuals are diagnosed with PH quickly and begin appropriate therapy, their prognosis and life-expectancy improve dramatically. However, it currently takes an average of 2.5 years to receive a diagnosis and three quarters of patients have severe PH when they are finally diagnosed. Without treatment, historical studies have shown a mean survival time of 2.8 years after diagnosis for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Patients with advanced PH cannot benefit as greatly from available therapies and often face dramatic and costly medical interventions, including 24-hour IV infused medication, increased risk for hospitalization and in some cases heart-lung transplantation.

I am proud to work with PHA in their efforts to increase awareness of PH and create new programs that promote early and accurate diagnosis and quality care for PH patients.

Madam Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to join me in recognizing November as Pulmonary Hypertension Awareness Month and to continue supporting federal activities that improve the lives of patients impacted by PH including research programs at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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