pulmonary pressure

[zk]

Well another cardiologist told me that my pulmonary pressure is 25/12.Is it possible to have an increase in systolic pulmonary pressure from 20(systolic) to 43(systolic) in just four years and from 30(systolic) to 43(systolic) in just four months without SOB?How accurate are echo pulmonary pressure measurements?What other tests should be done to rule out pulmonary hypertension?If a person is athlete and does endurance (marathon) training and his inferior vena cava(IVC) is dilated at 2.20cm would dilation od 2.20cm be considered normal?Does IVC dilation return to normal size once endurance training is stoppe?If it does how long after activity is stopped?Thank you.

[National Jewish]

It is possible to have an increase in the systolic pulmonary pressure in the span of 4 years.  In just 4 months it is possible for this pressure to increase from 30 to 43.  This can happen with or without shortness of breath.  The pressure measurements are quite accurate with an echo.  Cardiac catheterization is the "Gold Standard" for the exact measurement of pulmonary arterial pressure.
To have your questions about the vena cava answered by the cardiologists at the Cleveland Clinic Heart Center, please submit them to the Heart Forum at http://www.MedHelp.org