Apr 02 2024 13 mins
It is really important to have more awareness of the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases in patients who have interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis.
You can also watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/sYev_0Uhr2A
Many patients with ILD can develop something called pulmonary hypertension, which is an increased pressure between the right side of the heart and the lungs. This can cause blood oxygen levels to drop significantly and lead to severe breathlessness and other heart complications.
Screening for pulmonary hypertension with an ultrasound scan of the heart (echocardiogram) is really important in most patients who have interstitial lung diseases.
Patients with ILD are also at potentially a higher risk of developing coronary artery disease which increases the risk of heart attacks. Also, they may be at a higher risk of blood clots and pulmonary embolism.
Actively looking for cardiovascular disease is important, as in many cases there are effective medications for many of these conditions. While we may not be able sometimes to completely stop the worsening of the ILD, we may be able to optimize treatments for the heart and vascular diseases, for better long term outcomes and potentially symptom improvement. #cardiovasculardisease #pulmonaryfibrosis #ild