The Evolution in Nomenclature, Diagnosis, and Classification of Pulmonary Hypertension

The current description of pulmonary hypertension is a testament to the physicians and scientists who dedicated their lives to furthering understanding of the pulmonary circulation. This has spanned a millennium, from ancient Egyptian descriptions of human anatomy to the current molecular and hemodynamic phenotyping of pulmonary hypertension. The recent Sixth World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension is a direct result of these discoveries and reflects an evolution in a classification scheme that has spanned half a century. This provides a framework for future directions related to therapeutics and mechanisms of disease.