Doctor fights rare disease in northwest China

Cao Yunshan enters the ward where he works, which tends for patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), around nine o’clock in the morning, and begins his hectic day.

Cao is a PH expert who specialises in the treatment of fibrosing mediastinitis, a rare and dangerous condition caused by PH.

Cao served as a postdoctoral fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School affiliate in the United States, from 2015 to 2016. He is now the chief physician of the cardiopulmonary vascular department at Gansu Provincial Hospital in northwest China.

According to a preliminary estimate, the prevalence of PH may be greater in high altitude locations than low altitude areas, and in rural areas than urban ones.

“One of the most common causes of PH is high altitude hypoxia. The number of people with PH in China is now believed to be between 5 and 8 million, with the majority of them living in western China. That is why I chose to return to Gansu “Cao said.

Cao’s team has treated approximately 1,000 people with PH since 2018. When the blood arteries travelling from the heart to the lungs are under too much pressure, PH occurs. The arteries in the lungs might then constrict, causing blood to flow less efficiently and resulting in less oxygen in the blood.

Shortness of breath, fainting, and chest discomfort are all symptoms of PH. It has now progressed to the point where it is a sickness that poses a major hazard to human bodily and mental health.

Chen, a 52-year-old PH sufferer, said he had visited numerous well-known Chinese hospitals before coming to Cao’s team for interventional therapy. From 2016 till today, medical costs, travel expenses, and lodging rates totaled about 1 million yuan (157,320 USD).

“When I was at my lowest, I considered terminating my life so that I wouldn’t bring my family down,” Chen added.

The therapy provided by Cao’s team was successful. “After coming home, I purchased 100 balloons to practise extending my lung capacity, and I have recommended that all of my fellow patients have therapy here,” he stated.

“For a long time, Cao’s crew has been based in western China. They have dedicated themselves to PH research, which is important for millions of PH patients because they can receive the best treatment available locally “Jing Zhicheng, Peking Union Medical College Hospital’s chief physician, stated.

Every year on World Pulmonary Hypertension Day, May 5th, Cao’s team performs voluntary medical diagnostics and talks at primary-level hospitals in order to test for PH, improve awareness and knowledge of this commonly misdiagnosed condition, and support research that will help discover a solution.

“Today is World PH Day, and we hope that everyone in society recognises the significance of enhancing the quality of life for those with PH. We also hope that World PH Day would raise awareness of patients with rare diseases throughout the world “Cao said.

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