September 13, 2004 --

Ben Swann-KFOX Morning News Anchor/Reporter

You might have chest pain, a racing heartbeat or feel winded when you walk up the stairs, all typical symptoms of heart disease. They could also be warning signs of Pulmonary Hypertension; high blood pressure in the lungs. Now, doctors are testing a new device that makes monitoring easier, possibly leading to better treatments for a disease that has no cure.

Nick Kirby-Trucker: "I like being on the move. It just suits me real well."

The freedom of the road feels like home to trucker Nick Kirby.

Nick Kirby-Trucker: "There's days you do a lot of driving. And there's days you do a lot of work."

And those work days, lifting, cranking, throwing chains to secure a load, are a lot harder since Nick developed symptoms of Pulmonary Hypertension. Any exertion makes Nick's heart race and chest heave. Sometimes even climbing into the cab makes Nick breathe a little harder. So Nick listens to his doctors and is slowing down his pace. He also had a device implanted under his collarbone that, through a thin wire, monitors pressure in the right side of his heart. This pressure matches that of his lungs. It's important because high blood pressure in your lungs can cause your heart to work overtime and eventually wear out. Our doctor, Dr. Michael McGoon tells us.

Dr. Michael McGoon-Mayo Clinic: "To have an on-going, continuous, easily accessible stream of information about what people's pulmonary or lung blood pressure is."

That information may help doctors adjust medications to make them more effective. Giving hope to patients like Nick, as he gears up for the long haul of life.

Our medical experts tell us it's too early to tell if being able to constantly measure pressures in the lungs will help doctors treat patients more efficiently. The device, called the Chronicle, gives doctors information they've never had before.

If you would like more medical news, visit our health partners websites:

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center:http://www.mdanderson.org/

The Mayo Clinic:http://www.medicaledge.org

Baylor College of Medicine:http://public.bcm.tmc.edu/