Cardiovascular disease and interstitial lung diseases (ILD)

It is really important to have more awareness of the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases in patients who have interstitial lung disease / pulmonary fibrosis.
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

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The opinions presented on this channel are my own and do not constitute medical advice in specific cases. If you are watching/listening to this content as a patient, you must seek personalized advice from your own healthcare team (who can provide you with a consultation and appropriate treatment and advice. This information presented here may not apply in your case. If you are a health professional, please use your professional judgement when treating patients.