NYHA Functional Class II-IV Pulmonary arterial hypertension

NYHA Functional Class System for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

The New York Heart Association (NYHA) Functional Classification system is a useful tool for assessing a patient's functional capacity related to their pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). It is helpful to assess the patient's capacity to perform physical activities, as well as evaluating how well a patient is responding to treatment. The functional class system is divided into four categories, ranging from I to IV:

• Class I: Patient has no limitations to activity due to their PAH.
• Class II: Patient has mild limitations to activity due to their PAH. They experience increased shortness of breath and fatigue with physical activity, but they are still able to engage in some activities.
• Class III: Patient has marked limitations to activity due to their PAH. They experience more frequent shortness of breath and fatigue with physical activity, and therefore require frequent rest breaks while engaging in them.
• Class IV: Patient experiences significant limitations to activity due to their PAH. They experience symptom dyspnea even with minimal activities and are unable to perform all but the most essential activities.

The functional class system is useful in helping clinicians assess how well a patient is responding to their treatment. Generally, it is expected that a patient's functional class should improve with appropriate treatment. For example, a patient with Class I PAH should improve to Class II, and a patient with Class II PAH should improve to at least Class III.

The NYHA Functional Classification System is an important tool for both clinicians and patients to assess the functional results of PAH treatments. It is important to understand the limitations and physical capabilities associated with PAH in order to be able to accurately assess a patient's condition and progress.