Reports on hemodynamic effects of hydralazine on pulmonary hypertension (primary or secondary) usually include cases with severe disease or with mixed varieties of pulmonary vascular disease. Serious side effects and death have been reported. Effects of this drug on ventilation and gas exchange are unknown. We investigated the short-term effects of hydralazine treatment on hemodynamics, ventilation, and gas exchange in a relatively homogeneous group of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and moderate exertional pulmonary hypertension (mean pulmonary artery pressure, 43 +/- 3 mmHg). Hydralazine produced significant improvement in cardiac index, total pulmonary resistance, and oxygen transport. We also observed significant improvement in alveolar ventilation (mean PaCO2, decreased from 47 +/- 2 to 40 +/- 3 mmHg at rest and from 51 +/- 3 to 43 +/- 3 mmHg during exercise). The severe exertional hypoxemia of the group (mean PaO2, 48 +/- 2 mmHg) improved significantly (mean PaO2, 57 +/- 3 mmHg). Four of 11 patients showed increased exercise tolerance after hydralazine. This change is probably related to a combined improvement in hemodynamics plus a newly observed improvement in gas exchange and ventilation. Three of 14 patients could not tolerate hydralazine because of marked tachycardia. Serious side effects were not observed in the remaining group.