Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is classified according to how severe it is.
This helps medical staff to understand how much PH is affecting someone. It also helps medical staff find the right treatment for people with PH.
The system that is used to classify PH was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
It is based on how much exercise people with PH can do before they start to notice symptoms such as shortness of breath.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Classification of PH based on exercise
| Class | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | No symptoms of any kind. Physical activity does not cause any symptoms |
| 2 | Comfortable at rest, but symptoms occur with ordinary physical activity |
| 3 | Comfortable at rest, but symptoms occur with less-than-ordinary effort (eg lifting the arms) |
| 4 | Symptoms while resting |
Clinical Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension
Glossary -: PH: pulmonary arterial hypertension; PVOD: pulmonary veno-occlusive disease; PCH: pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis; LVEF: left ventricular ejection fraction.
1. Group 1 PH (Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension)
1a. Idiopathic PAH
1b. Heritable PAH
1c. Drug and toxin induced PAH
1d. Underlying disease induced PAH (congenital heart disease, scleroderma, lupus, HIV infection, connective tissue disease, etc.)
2. Group 2 PH (PH caused by left heart disease)
3. Group 3 PH (PH caused by other lung disease)
3a. COPD
3b. Pulmonary fibrosis
4. Group 4 PH (PH caused by blood clots in the lungs)
4a. CTEPH
4b. Sarcoma or other malignant tumours