What is pulmonary hypertension?

Pulmonary hypertension is characterized by elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, which supply blood from the heart to the lungs. This condition occurs when the blood vessels in the lungs become narrowed, blocked, or destroyed, resulting in increased resistance to blood flow. As a consequence, the right side of the heart must work harder to pump blood through these vessels, which can eventually lead to right heart failure if left untreated.

The other choices describe different conditions that do not pertain to the specific nature of pulmonary hypertension. Low blood pressure in the systemic arteries refers to hypotension, which affects the overall body circulation rather than the pulmonary circulation. High blood pressure in the coronary arteries indicates issues related to coronary artery disease, affecting the heart itself rather than the lungs. A normal blood pressure in the pulmonary circuit suggests that there are no issues in that area, which clearly does not align with the definition of pulmonary hypertension. Thus, understanding that pulmonary hypertension specifically involves high pressure in the pulmonary arteries allows one to correctly identify the fundamental nature of this condition.