Pulmonary arterial hypertension affects the arteries that are on your heart’s right side and the arteries in your lungs. When you have PAH, the arteries are blocked, narrowed, or destroyed. PAH can lead to your heart muscles becoming weak over time and then failing. It is important to know the risk factors for PAH, so you are aware of whether you are likely to have this condition.

1. Family history
Family history is one of the ways to find out if you are at high risk of PAH. If you have someone in your family who has had pulmonary arterial hypertension, then you are at a higher risk. The risk is higher if you have more than one family member who had PAH in their lives. This is actually true if you have a family member who had idiopathic pulmonary hypertension.

2. Age
According to the American Thoracic Society, pulmonary arterial hypertension is diagnosed at 36. PAH has been found to affect those people between the ages of 20 and 60. However, it can occur at any age. For example, idiopathic PAH is diagnosed more often in younger adults rather than older adults.

3. Gender
Gender also matters and can play a role in the likelihood of having PAH. Women are more susceptible to two types of pulmonary arterial hypertension; idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension. In fact, women are over twice as likely to get pulmonary arterial hypertension when compared to men. Those women of childbearing age are more at risk.

4. Obstructive sleep apnea and obesity
If you are obese, then you have a slight chance of having pulmonary arterial hypertension or developing it in the future. This is because obesity can lead to an increase in blood pressure in the lungs. The chances are increased manifold if you are obese, and you have obstructive sleep apnea. This can lead to mild pulmonary arterial hypertension.

5. Other conditions and diseases
If you have certain types of diseases or conditions, then you are at a higher risk of developing PAH. For example, if you have conditions such as lung disease, congenital heart disease, connective tissue disorder, or liver disease, then you can develop pulmonary hypertension. Having a family history of people with blood-clotting disorders can increase the risk of PAH too.

6. High altitude
If you live in a high altitude place, then you are at a higher risk of developing PAH. Even if you travel there, then it can contribute to the risk of having PAH. This is because of the less oxygen that is found there. If you have PAH and you go to a high altitude place, then you can experience a worsening of your symptoms as a result of that.

7. Pregnancy
Pregnant women are at a higher risk of developing pulmonary arterial hypertension than women who aren’t pregnant. Those women who have pulmonary hypertension and then become pregnant are more likely to die as a result, and so it is highly risky to get pregnant if you already have pulmonary hypertension.