Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • Pulmonology >
  • ... >
  • conditions we treat >
  • Pulmonary Hypertension >
  • Heart Failure PH
Pulmonology
Our Services
Conditions We Treat
Acute Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
Allergy-Immunology
Asthma
Congenital Heart Disease
CTEPH
Cystic Fibrosis
Diastolic Dysfunction
Interstitial Lung Disease
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary Fibrosis/COPD-Associated PH
Pulmonary Hypertension
Heart Failure PH
HIV-Associated PH
Scleroderma-Associated PH
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Sickle Cell-Associated PH
Sleep Apnea
Vocal Cord Dysfunction
Our Locations
Patient Stories
Post COVID-19 Recovery Clinic
Telemedicine
Pulmonology
Our Services
Conditions We Treat
Acute Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
Allergy-Immunology
Asthma
Congenital Heart Disease
CTEPH
Cystic Fibrosis
Diastolic Dysfunction
Interstitial Lung Disease
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Pulmonary Fibrosis/COPD-Associated PH
Pulmonary Hypertension
Heart Failure PH
HIV-Associated PH
Scleroderma-Associated PH
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Sarcoidosis
Scleroderma
Sickle Cell-Associated PH
Sleep Apnea
Vocal Cord Dysfunction
Our Locations
Patient Stories
Post COVID-19 Recovery Clinic
Telemedicine

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Pulmonary Hypertension Caused by Systolic Heart Failure

Every time a healthy heart pumps oxygen-rich blood from the lungs into the rest of the body, it goes through two phases — a contracting or pumping phase (called systolic function) and a relaxing phase (called diastolic function).

When a weakened heart can't pump efficiently, that's known as systolic dysfunction. Just like a kink in a garden hose, blood begins to back up into the lungs and causes pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Systolic Heart Dysfunction Symptoms and Causes

The symptoms of systolic heart dysfunction are similar to those caused by many other types of heart failure, including:

  • Shortness of breath with exertion or at rest
  • Excessive fatigue
  • Swelling of the lower extremities or belly (edema)

Causes of systolic heart dysfunction can be:

  • Heart attack or coronary artery disease — these can cause permanent scarring that weakens the heart's pumping ability. Coronary artery disease is often caused by smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
  • Genetic or unknown reasons — the pumping function of the heart can be weakened by genetic causes or viruses, but in some cases the reasons are unknown.

Systolic Heart Failure and PH Treatment Approach

Each of our physicians in the UPMC Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Program have deep expertise in their specialty, but they also work closely with other cardiologists, cardiac surgeons and experts within the UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute.

That cross-disciplinary approach means that patients get coordinated care from the best minds in systolic dysfunction and resulting pulmonary hypertension.

Pulmonary hypertension and systolic heart dysfunction can't be cured, but their symptoms can be managed. Our treatment approach focuses on improving a person's quality of life and helping them maintain an independent lifestyle.

  • Medications — many people respond well to medications that lower blood pressure and make the heart's pumping function easier.
  • Defibrillators — also known as a pacemaker, an implantable defibrillator can be combined with medical therapies to synchronize the heart's pumping motions and even improve the condition of the heart muscle itself.
  • Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVAD) — UPMC cardiologists have been on the leading edge of LVAD treatment since the technology was introduced in the 1980s, and have been leaders in improving the technology since then. These implantable devices pump blood into the body just as a healthy heart would. LVADs can be used:
    • When a person is waiting for a heart transplant. LVADs are used as a "bridge" to heart transplantation, meaning that they do the work of the heart until a human heart becomes available.
    • As a permanent valve replacement. Today's LVADs are now fully implantable, small enough to fit in most adult chests and durable enough for long-term use.
  • Heart Transplant — our doctors are leading experts in heart transplantation as part of the UPMC Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, a nationally regarded center of excellence in transplantation.
  • New Stem Cell Therapies — UPMC researchers are working on new therapies for systolic heart dysfunction that involve injecting healthy stem cells into failing hearts to improve their function.
UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login