Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Oxygen Therapy: Benefits & Treatment

Oxygen Therapy to Support Your Lifestyle

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, serious disease that gets worse over time. In healthy lungs, blood cells move freely through blood vessels, picking up oxygen before returning to the heart. But in people with PAH, the blood vessels in the lungs narrow and become thicker. This forces the heart to work harder to keep blood pumping through the lungs.

While PAH medications can help address these blood vessel changes, researchers are discovering more and more how supplemental oxygen may help people with PAH. For example, one research study found that using supplemental oxygen can lower how hard the heart has to work! People with PAH who used supplemental oxygen while walking had lowered heart rates during the six-minute walk test. 

Oxygen therapy does more than improve oxygen saturation and support heart function—it can also influence how people feel and function in daily life. Because supplemental oxygen can affect many aspects of well-being, decisions about prescribing oxygen should consider the whole person, not just physical symptoms. This includes a patient’s healthcare preferences, daily activities, occupation, mobility challenges, mental health, and the availability of caregiver support.

Think about times in your life when you or your loved one’s PAH stopped them from doing “normal” tasks, like going to the grocery store. Maybe managing their supplemental oxygen in public felt like too much. But avoiding oxygen can also mean giving up independence and a sense of a normal life when people living with PAH are already often dealing with anxiety, depression, and social isolation.

When we recognize that PAH affects the whole person—not just the body—it opens up bigger conversations, such as how new oxygen technologies might help people with PAH live fuller lives beyond managing and monitoring their condition.

Dr. Hadi Chohan, a pulmonologist and pulmonary hypertension specialist, knows first-hand the impact supplemental oxygen can have, and how tailored it should be to a patient’s goals. “Low oxygen levels can trigger the worsening of pulmonary hypertension, and that is why oxygen therapy is an important part of the treatment plan. If a patient is improving and we are also able to reduce someone’s oxygen needs over time, then that is an excellent sign of overall improvement of their PAH.”

Advances in Oxygen Therapy

Advances underway in oxygen therapy offer more options, better monitoring, and personalized oxygen delivery depending on patient needs—whether at home, at work, or on the go.

Newer, lighter devices that automatically adjust oxygen levels give people greater independence and less disruption to daily life. They can also track oxygen saturation levels and heart rate in real-time, which gives doctors and healthcare teams a clearer, more accurate picture of a person’s daily health—not just what they can remember during office visits.

Remote monitoring helps fill in the gaps between appointments and could help catch issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. Today, wearable devices and portable oxygen concentrators can often connect through apps. This can help ease the mental load of constant self-monitoring. 

Talk to your oxygen provider and specialist if you are interested in seeing if any of these options might be right for you. 

Possible Future Technologies on the Horizon

How might technology and new developments make it easier to manage the day-to-day care of PAH through supplemental oxygen? New technologies like those below may emerge to transform supplemental oxygen in the years to come.

One thing to keep in mind, though: many of the technologies discussed below are in the early stages of study and testing. Even when studies show promising initial results, new technologies often need larger clinical trials, and not all research leads to approved treatments. If you are interested, consider asking your doctor about joining a health research study.

Smart Oxygen Delivery and Artificial Intelligence

One of the most significant advances in oxygen therapy management is artificial intelligence (AI). According to a recent article in Health Sciences Review and Nature Scientific Reports, AI may be able to predict oxygen needs before symptoms start, automatically adjust flow rates without manual input, and provide remote monitoring for healthcare providers to track between visits and detect early warning signs of worsening breathing. 

AI is not intended to make medical decisions independently, but it may be able to play a role in remote monitoring by helping to flag issues quickly. For example, if blood oxygen levels drop, AI can trigger an alert on a wearable device or automatically adjust the flow on the oxygen concentrator. Smart oxygen delivery systems can also connect through the Internet to detect changes in heart pulse rate and oxygen levels and then use that data to adjust oxygen flow rates. 

Contactless Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2) Monitoring

Researchers are working on new ways to measure oxygen levels without using the finger clip device commonly used in a doctor’s office. One idea, published in the journals, Digital Health and Smart Health, is a smartphone app that uses the phone’s camera to record a short video of your face. The app then analyzes subtle changes in your skin tone and blood flow to estimate your oxygen levels. No special equipment would be needed for this method.

This approach is part of a broader push for non-invasive oxygen monitoring, meaning a simpler, more comfortable way to self-monitor. In the future, if the technology proves reliable, it might reduce the need for in-office visits. 

Remote Monitoring and Wearables

For people with smart watches and fitness trackers, apps offer an accessible way to track heart health. While most everyday wearable devices are not meant to diagnose medical conditions, a wearable device may help keep track of oxygen levels and heart rate for people with PAH.

FDA-approved oxygen-monitoring wearables include:

• The lightweight, silicon O2Ring from Viatom.
• The EvieMED Ring, which is designed for continuous wear and to allow for finger swelling.
• BodiMetrics’ circul pro Ring, which is uniquely designed to accurately measure blood oxygen levels for all skin tones. 

In addition, FDA has cleared OxiWear’s noninvasive ear pulse oximeter, which measures of blood oxygen and pulse rate while still and in motion (and also has a high level of accuracy for all skin tones).

Researchers are looking at creating newer devices that incorporate tiny sensors built directly into fabrics to monitor oxygen. These sensors can be lighter, less expensive, and easier to use in everyday life.

Another technology known as a closed-loop feedback system automatically adjusts how much oxygen a person receives based on their needs. In one study of 20 hospitalized patients, this type of nasal cannula resulted in better oxygen levels than those whose oxygen was adjusted manually. However, more research is needed to address remaining questions on appropriate places to use this technology, when it is most accurate, and the most appropriate type of patients.

Collaboration Means Conversations – Doctors, Technology, and You

As with any treatment decision, the “right” choice depends on each individual’s needs, which can include PAH severity, oxygen requirements, risk factors, and personal preference. That’s why working with your doctor is critical. 

Dr. Chohan says he and his fellow PH specialists partner with their patients to find approaches that work for them as individuals. “Our job as physicians is to help patients navigate how they can best use supplemental oxygen throughout the course of their day and help them do so comfortably. We know there may be reluctance to wear oxygen at the grocery store or at family events. However, it is important for our patients to talk to us so we can figure out how to make it work for them to give them the best chance of improving their PAH.”