Those of you of a certain age may think the title for this article is related to the resurrection of an old dance craze. It is, of course, anything but. Patients who have one of the scarring diseases of the lungs known as IPF or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis can have a difficult time with symptoms, particularly since treatment options are limited.
The symptom of shortness of breath is the most prominent symptom for patients with IPF as the scarring advances in the lung tissue. It stiffens the lung and prevents the usual function of acquiring the needed oxygenation for the body. However, this lung disease also affects the function of other organs especially the heart and blood vessels of the lungs themselves.
What has not been obvious has been the fact that the problem with the blood vessels of the lungs seems to progress in concert with the lung function decline but may also advance more rapidly. The lung’s blood vessels appear to narrow and reduce the heart’s ability to push blood through the lungs. The pressure in these blood vessels increases and leads to significant strain on the right side of the heart. The pressure increase in the lung’s blood vessels is called pulmonary hypertension.
Pulmonary hypertension complicates the course of patients with IPF and is associated with significant consequences for right sided heart function. Treatment options are available so aggressive diagnosis is important to improve symptoms and preserve other treatment options such as lung transplantation.
