What types of medical tests determine if I have damaged my heart and lungs by using fen-phen?
Heart valve damage can be detected by a Doppler “echocardiogram” (also known as an “echo”). An echo is an ultrasound of the heart, a noninvasive and painless procedure. Your primary care physician can refer you to a cardiologist who will schedule the test. PPH is diagnosed through a series of tests. First, a pulmonary function test is used to establish that there is hypertension. Then, a series of tests are given to rule out other potential causes for the hypertension. If no cause for the hypertension is found, the hypertension will be classified as “primary” – hence “primary pulmonary hypertension.
