Lecture Overview

Pulmonary hypertension is a rare disease, but its recognition has been gradually increasing, and the number of diagnosed patients continues to grow each year. Pulmonary hypertension is classified into five groups. In Group 1, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), treatment options have advanced significantly over the past 15 years. The lecture will provide a clear explanation of these seemingly complex therapeutic agents, organized by drug class. In Group 4, chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), treatment methods have also undergone remarkable progress over the last 15 years. Balloon Pulmonary Angioplasty (BPA), an interventional procedure for the pulmonary arteries, is a Japan-originated evidence-based therapy. The lecture will trace the history of BPA treatment—from its early days of struggling with complications to its present form—highlighting how the therapy has evolved. It will also cover the latest updates in treatment and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis in this rapidly advancing field.