Is Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension very common?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is relatively rare. It is estimated that there are about 30-50 people with PAH for every million of the population.¹

While Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) can occur at any age, it is more common in women in their childbearing years and the average age of diagnosis is 36.²

The signs and symptoms of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) such as breathlessness, chest tightness and fatigue are common to other conditions such as asthma, general fatigue or lack of fitness. This means that Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) is most frequently diagnosed when patients have reached a more advanced stage of disease (WHO Functional Class III and IV).³ This suggests that there may be some patients who have the disease but who have not yet been diagnosed.

References
1. Peacock AJ. Treatment of pulmonary hypertension. BMJ 2003; 326: 835-6
2. Gaine SP, Rubin LJ. Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Lancet 1998; 352: 719-25
3. Humbert M, Sitbon O, Chaouat A et al. Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in France: Results from a National Registry. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2006; 173(9): 1023-30.