Optum Specialty Pharmacy

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH)

Background

PAH is high blood pressure in the arteries (blood vessels) of your lungs. The blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to your lungs become hard, stiff, and narrow. This makes your heart work harder to pump blood through your lungs. Over time, your heart may become weak and unable to pump as well as it should.

Causes

There are many possible causes of PAH. It can be passed down from your parents (inherited), or develop without a reason. It can also be caused by conditions such as scleroderma, lupus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and birth defects of the heart.

Treatment

PAH has no cure. But there are medications available to help manage and slow the progression of PAH, such as:

  • Medications to open the blood vessels in your lungs so more blood can flow through
  • Medications that reduce the amount of cells growing in your blood vessels

Resources

Let an Optum® Specialty Pharmacy expert help you with your specialty medication needs. Call our dedicated PAH team at 1-855-856-0536.