Pulmonary Hypertension, Explained in Under 2 Minutes

Hypertension is something the United States is well aware of: It affects almost half of U.S. adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As you may already know, this refers to elevated pressure of blood against the walls of your arteries — most commonly known as high blood pressure.

Pulmonary hypertension, on the other hand, is a little different. It specifically refers to the blood pressure on your pulmonary arteries. These are the massive arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs, where the blood gets infused with oxygen.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

Our editorial standards

Meet our experts