RESUMEN
The development of secondary pulmonary hypertension in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease worsens their prognosis; oxygen therapy seems to improve prognosis in these patients. We measured the effect of oxygen therapy on mean pulmonary artery pressure in four women and four men aged 64 to 82 years (average 73 years) with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A right cardiac catheterisation was performed before and on average 11 months (8-16 months) after start of oxygen therapy. The mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased on average 5 mm Hg, from 24 to 19 mm Hg. As prognosis seems to be associated with pulmonary artery pressure, more patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should be evaluated for oxygen therapy.