Oxygen Therapy Helps Blood Pressure Disorder

People with pulmonary hypertension may benefit from long-term oxygen therapy regardless of whether they also suffer from hypoxemia, or deficient oxygenation of the blood.
Pulmonary hypertension is a rare lung disease characterized by high blood pressure in the pulmonary artery. It can occur either independently, or as a result of other lung disorders. Doctors know people with smoking-related lung diseases who also suffer from hypoxemia benefit from long-term oxygen therapy, whether or not their disease is complicated by pulmonary hypertension. However, they're not sure if Medicare covers this therapy for many of these patients. Oxygen therapy also helps people with pulmonary hypertension who do not suffer from hypoxemia, and these patients have not qualified for therapy under Medicare guidelines. However, treatment options for these patients are limited, and many eventually become candidates for lung transplantation.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital studied 23 adult patients with pulmonary hypertension, some of whom did not qualify for oxygen therapy under Medicare, to find out whether the therapy could help them. In a report published in this month's CHEST, researchers studied the effect of long-term oxygen therapy for these patients.

Study results show treatment with 100 percent oxygen increased the amount of oxygen in the patients' blood, decreased pulmonary artery pressures, and increased their cardiac index. The effect of the therapy declined only with regards to patient age, with older patients responding less favorably than younger patients.

The investigators conclude 100 percent oxygen therapy may be an effective treatment for people with pulmonary hypertension, regardless of the patient's specific diagnosis, and should be considered for coverage by Medicare.

SOURCE: Chest, 2001;120:1547-1555