This study says that 4 to 5 percent of PE suffers will develop (PAH). It also says that the number could be higher because not all PE's are diagnosed and treated.

Here is a paragraph from the study!

Less than 1% of patients with PE.4,5 Newer data suggest that CTEPH may be present in up to 4% to 5% of patients following PE.6,7 Given the number of patients with undiagnosed and/or asymptomatic PE, the true incidence of CTEPH may be higher than these estimates. CTEPH can occur from months to many years following the initial thromboembolic event, and the natural history of the disease is poorly understood until the time the patient develops symptoms. Similar to PAH, untreated CTEPH has a uniformly poor prognosis that correlates with the extent of PH.

Here is a link from the study!

http://www.phaonlineuniv.org/Journal/Article.cfm?ItemNumber=719

So it is probably only 5 percent, but it could be higher. I guess those aren't too bad of odds. But terrible odds for those who do eventually develop PAH.

I meant to say CETPH - sorry for the confusion. It's just statistics and different studies pitted against one another. It shouldn't cause too much alarm other than to be armed with all of the information one would need to about the after-effects of Pulmonary Embolism.

Thank you Jeremy, we both seem to read a lot of studies. I appreciate that you pointed out the competing information regarding CTEPH, and that it could occur many years after the event.

My purpose was to say there is a gremlin out there that could effect us, IF you still feel sickly after 6 months to a year, be suspicious. Trust your body and your instincts and pursue testing. It is much better to have testing than to have untreated illness.

If I have alarmed anyone, please disregard my post. That was not my intent.

When I was treated for my PE, I was sent home with oxygen and a wheelchair and basically told to "get over it." If you are not responding like you expect, have it checked out. It is probably NOT another PE, but could be a complication.

Yeah, Purple. Also, if you have other factors like heart problems, sleep apnea, or arteriolosclerosis, you are more prone to getting this condition after a Pulmonary Embolism. Most people recover completely after a DVT/PE, but some people who have other underlying health problems, and those who have multiple clotting events are prone to these types of complications. When you look at the number four to five percent it seems low right? But estimates show that up to 600 thousand people suffer from PE each year in the United States alone. Five percent of 600 thousand people would be 30 thousand people per year. That is a significant number of people right there. Here is a link to some good statistics on DVT/PE.

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/dvt/data.html

At the risk of (not) letting sleeping dogs lie, I've been looking into this recently and below is my take on the stats etc. Most of this is in the posts above and I'm simply trying to summarize. A few links (refs) are at the bottom.

Approximately 4% of people who've had an acute PE will develop CTEPH (Group 4 PH). This figure has been estimated at between 1 and 12% in different surveys, but 4% appears to be the most accepted figure.

Approximately 2/3 of CTEPH cases are treated surgically with a PTE (PEA) and it is felt that the number of actually recorded cases of CTEPH is too small as the number of PTE/PEA operations do not match with the CTEPH occurrence estimates. Approximately 2/3 of people who have the operation report that they are better (improve/cured) after the operation. A center must report a mortality rate of less than 10% for the PTE/PEA operation and somewhere in the range of 2-5% appears to occur. While the operation is full on, it means that CTEPH is the only PH group for which a possible cure exists.

The key initial test is an echocardiogram which estimates the pressure in the pulmonary arteries and the size of the right ventricle (heart). If the echocardiogram is OK, CTEPH is unlikely. Often an echocardiogram straight after a PE will show raised pulmonary pressure and larger ventricle but this often resolves itself in the coming weeks.

CTEPH is serious and the prognosis without treatment depends on the estimated pressure in the pulmonary arteries. If this is in the range 30-40 mmHg, there is a 50% mortality risk within a 5 year period. The higher the pressure, the higher the mortality risk.

http://www.phassociation.org/CTEPH
http://www.phassociation.uk.com/
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/pah/
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/804294
http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/early/2012/11/08/09031936.00058112.full.pdf+html
There are many others ...

Purplemen,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention. I really appreciate it!
As anyone who has experienced a PE knows,everything can change in a very short period of time...
It only helps us to know what could happen. I wish you the best!

I have been reading these post and I thought I might contribute to this topic. PH and PAH are two different things. PAH affects the right side of the heart, while PH affects the left side. Where 10 years ago the prognosis for both was very bleak, today there is a lot of hope. I was diagnosed with PAH in 1999 and was told I had only three years to live. The pressures in my lungs was in the 100s, it took them two year to diagnose me and my heart had already been affected. There was only one medication and I could not use it because it almost killed me when they tried it in the cath lab. My only other hope was lung transplant but it takes at least 3 years to get to top of list, so I was pretty much a goner. My doctor informed me that my PAH developed from using diet drug fen-phen. He told me to sue company, I did, my attorney referred to USC PAH study, doctor there put me study for new drug, worked wonders and I am still today going strong. First 9 years were hell sometimes but now I lead a totally normal life. PAH and PH are no longer a death sentence. Now there are many, many medications on the market now and both my doctors get involved in studies for new ones. I take 3 medications for the PAH and I am great and I expect to live a normal life span. I am now 55 and I WILL see 75!!!!!!