(For more, see the What is being tested? section.) A hemoglobin test may be used to: Screen for, diagnose, and measure the severity of anemia (low RBCs, hemoglobin and hematocrit) or polycythemia (high RBCs, hemoglobin and hematocrit) Monitor the response to treatment of anemia or polycythemia.
Calcium channel blockers prevent calcium from entering into the heart muscle cells, and into the smooth muscle cells that cause blood vessels to constrict. This relaxing effect results in the dilation of blood vessels, and a reduced force of contraction of the heart muscle.
Targeted therapies slow the progression of PH and may even reverse some of the damage to the heart and lungs. Calcium channel blockers (CCBs) are a type of targeted therapy used specifically to treat people with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). When you are first diagnosed with PH you may be tested to see if you could benefit from treatment with CCBs. Less than one in ten people with PH benefit from taking CCBs.