World Pulmonary Hypertension Day is an annual global event to raise awareness of pulmonary hypertension (PH), a severe condition affecting the lungs and heart.

On May 5, people around the world will participate in World PH Day to raise awareness of this frequently misdiagnosed disease; advocate for access to PH diagnosis, treatment and care; and celebrate the lives of those living with PH.

Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram to celebrate World PH Day. Share your PH stories, photos and messages throughout May. PHA will share select submissions on its Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram channels all month long. Don’t forget to include #WorldPHDay2023 and tag PHA in your posts.

Use the graphics provided below and, in the World PH Day Toolkit, to change your social media profile images and cover photos.

Social Media Profile Picture

Not all pulmonary hypertension (PH) is the same. PH is a general term used to describe high blood pressure in the lungs from any cause. There are five different groups of PH based on different causes.

Group 1: Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) can be idiopathic, heritable, developed in association with congenital heart disease or liver disease, induced by drug or toxins such as certain diet pills or methamphetamines, or related to connective tissue diseases such as lupus or scleroderma. Globally, a leading cause of PAH is schistosomiasis.

An estimated 20 million people, mostly in Africa and Asia, develop a severe form of PH from schistosomiasis, a common parasitic disease in which the parasite’s eggs obstruct the pulmonary arteries. Schistosomiasis-related PH is the most common cause of PH in the developing world.

Citation: Papamatheakis DG, Mocumbi AO, Kim NH, Mandel J. Schistosomiasis-associated pulmonary hypertension. Pulm Circ. 2014;4(4):596–611. doi:10.1086/678507

Group 2: PH Due to Left Heart Disease

In economically developed countries, PH is most often seen as a common complication of left heart disease, which affects at least 26 million people worldwide. Problems with the left side the of the heart, such as valvular heart disease and systolic or diastolic dysfunction, can lead to a backup of blood returning from the lungs, causing pressures in the lung to rise.

Citation: Savarese G, Lund LH. Global Public Health Burden of Heart Failure. Card Fail Rev. 2017;3(1):7–11. doi:10.15420/cfr.2016:25:2

Group 3: PH Due to Lung Disease

Chronic high altitude, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sleep-disordered breathing (sleep apnea) are some of the underlying causes that lead to scarring in the lungs that can cause PH. More than 140 million persons worldwide live 10,000 feet or more above sea level.

Citation: Mirrakhimov AE, Strohl KP. High-altitude Pulmonary Hypertension: an Update on Disease Pathogenesis and Management. Open Cardiovasc Med J. 2016;10:19–27. Published 2016 Feb 8. doi:10.2174/1874192401610010019

Group 4: PH Due to Blood Clots in the Lungs

A rare and progressive form of PH, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is caused by blood clots in the lungs. Up to 5% of individuals who have had a pulmonary embolism go on to develop CTEPH.

Citation: McNeil K, Dunning J. Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Heart. 2007;93(9):1152–1158. doi:10.1136/hrt.2004.053603

Group 5: PH Due to Blood and Other Disorders

Various disorders can cause PH in which PH is secondary to other diseases, including blood disorders, systemic disorders with lung involvement and metabolic disorders.

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that affects various organs and can lead to PH when increased pressure in the lungs causes weakening and ultimately failure of the right side of the heart.

Citation: Diaz-Guzman E, Farver C, Parambil J, Culver DA. Pulmonary hypertension caused by sarcoidosis. Clin Chest Med. 2008;29(3):549–x. doi:10.1016/j.ccm.2008.03.010