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A mysterious and deadly disease, Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH) is still without a cure to this day and newly reported cases are on the rise. Little is known about the exact cause of this lethal lung disorder, but doctors have attributed the increasingly high incidence of PPH to the use of diet drugs such as Fen-Phen, Redux, and Pondimin, before their recall in the late-1990''s. According to a study by the New England Journal of Medicine, 1 in 20,000 Fen-Phen users were diagnosed with PPH while only 1 in 50,000 non-users suffered from the disorder, giving users of the diet pills adequate cause to file lawsuits against its manufacturers.
PPH is a rare lung disorder in which the blood pressure in the pulmonary artery rises far above normal levels for no apparent reason, forcing the blood vessels to constrict. This constriction in the pulmonary artery makes it harder to pump the oxygen-deprived blood out of the heart''s right ventricle. This, in turn, puts quite a strain on the right ventricle, which has to work harder than normal to pump an adequate amount of blood away through the lungs. If doctors can pinpoint the disease to a specific cause it is referred to as Secondary Pulmonary Hypertension, while Primary Pulmonary Hypertension describes cases where the cause is not specifically known.
Initial symptoms of PPH are oftentimes overlooked, characterized simply as common, everyday occurrences such as frequent tiredness and fatigue, with difficulty in breathing and even fainting spells. More advanced symptoms include swelling in the ankles or legs, bluish lips or skin due to blood vessel constriction, and palpitations (strong throbbing) of the heart. As the life-cycle of PPH advances, so too does the severity of its symptoms.
Currently, doctors have been unable to find a cure for PPH and are forced to settle with only temporary fixes. Drugs may be administered to a patient that make the blood flow more freely or decrease the total amount of fluid in the body, relieving the right ventricle of undue strain. Unfortunately, the average length of survival after a PPH diagnosis hovers around three years, but with early diagnoses and adequate treatment administered, patients are capable of living with the disease for up to ten years.
Specific causes of PPH remain unknown, but doctors and researchers have confirmed an increase of diagnoses among users of Fen-Phen and other diet pills. Patients who have taken these pills have been shown to exhibit more severe cases of PPH, as noted by Dr. Stuart Rich, a leading authority on PPH, who writes that patients linked to pills such as Fen-Phen "tend to have a more aggressive disease with a poorer prognosis than similar patients with PPH." The disease has affected countless numbers of the estimated 6-7 million people who Fen-Phen prior to its recall.
If you believe you may be afflicted with PPH or a similar disorder due to the use of diet pills such as Fen-Phen, Redux and Pondimin, there are legal means of reconciliation established. Claims can be brought individually against the manufacturers of such drugs, seeking monetary compensation for damages including medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, lost quality of life, and punitive damages. PPH lawsuits are typically settled for millions of dollars if the proper legal recourse is taken. Please contact us to find out more about how you may reach a legal settlement in your PPH claim.
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