Fluctuations in my body weight clearly show the effects of disease and the benefits of balloon pulmonary angioplastyBalloon Pulmonary Angioplasty Balloon pulmonary angioplasty, or BPA for short, is a technique for widening narrowed or blocked blood vessels in the lungs of CTEPH patients. Small balloons attached to a catheter restore blood flow to areas of the lungs that do not receive blood due to the disease.  When successful, BPA eliminates or reduces shortness of breath, increases exercise tolerance and quality of life, and extends life expectancy. (BPABalloon Pulmonary Angioplasty Balloon pulmonary angioplasty, or BPA for short, is a technique for widening narrowed or blocked blood vessels in the lungs of CTEPH patients. Small balloons attached to a catheter restore blood flow to areas of the lungs that do not receive blood due to the disease.  When successful, BPA eliminates or reduces shortness of breath, increases exercise tolerance and quality of life, and extends life expectancy.). I was trapped in a deadly cycle and had only one chance to break free: BPA!

This article is based on observations. I weigh myself daily and put the data into the Garmin Connect app, which then creates these charts. – Click here to view my Garmin Express profile.

Evidently, the illustrated trends and turning points of my body weight coincided with important events in my health and treatment records.

My health, my fitness, physical ability, exercise capacity, or whatever you want to call it, all changed in tandem with my body weight. Coincidence? I don’t think so!

A graph showing the effects of disease and BPA treatment on my bodyweight.
This graph shows the effects of disease and BPA treatment through fluctuations in my body weight. My fitness and health changed along with my body weight. A pronounced therapeutic effect of BPA can be seen. Higher blood oxygen levels immediately improved health and therefore the potential for weight gain.

Chronically low blood oxygen levels (hypoxemia) combined with a weak heart wreak havoc on the body, a physiological consequence of pulmonary hypertensionPulmonary Hypertension (PH) High pressure in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs is called pulmonary hypertension. The arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart are affected by pulmonary hypertension. If untreated, the right side of the heart will weaken over time, eventually leading to heart failure and death. The WHO has defined five distinct groups of pulmonary hypertension, each with a different cause. CTEPH is a form of PH (WHO group 4). - References: mayoclinic.org and cdc.gov, particularly CTEPHChronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension CTEPH is short for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, a rare form of high blood pressure in the lungs caused by blood clots or narrowed blood vessels. High blood pressure in the lungs is often also called pulmonary hypertension..

Everything depends on the heart’s strength and capacity (stroke volume). Chronic high pressure in the pulmonary circulation caused by blockages in the pulmonary arteries weakens the right side of the heart. If left untreated, the heart will eventually fail (perhaps after three to five years), resulting in death.

Medical therapy only temporarily improved my physical ability and quality of life. Improvements peaked after about six months. Despite the pills, the pressure on my right heart continued to increase, further weakening it.

I often experienced a loss of appetite, fatigue, and reluctance to move, which led to less and less activity. Walking longer than a few minutes caused dramatically low blood oxygen levels and shortness of breath (dyspnea). Climbing stairs was hell, extremely uncomfortable. Over time, these factors resulted in a loss of strength and a dramatic drop in muscle mass (sarcopenia). A vicious circle, a downward spiral.

My body weight hit rock bottom at around 65 kg (143.3 lbs) shortly before we began medical therapy (pills) nearly a year ago (early in February 2022). Today, it’s back up at about 71 kg (156.5 lbs).

There is a pronounced therapeutic effect of BPA. Oxygen clearly makes a big difference. Higher blood oxygen levels and less pressure on the right heart immediately improve health and, therefore, the ability to gain weight.

After four BPA treatments in Japan, I was able to regain some much-needed body fat, muscle mass, and strength.

But I didn’t just sit around and wait for it to happen. I put in the necessary effort through regular exercise to rebuild my muscles and strength. Plus, I ate (and still eat) a diverse and nutritious diet, prioritizing whole foods and avoiding heavily processed options.

BPA was my only chance out of this lethal situation.

Thank you, Dr. Matsubara and colleagues, for your exceptional work in developing and refining this technique. A big shout out to the courageous patients who participated in the early studies—you are all heroes!

Read “My 2nd BPA Treatment” and “Why Japan?“!