Circulation. 2010 Jul 13;122(2):156-63. Epub 2010 Jun 28.

Survival in patients with idiopathic, familial, and anorexigen-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension in the modern management era.

Humbert M, Sitbon O, Chaouat A, Bertocchi M, Habib G, Gressin V, Yaïci A, Weitzenblum E, Cordier JF, Chabot F, Dromer C, Pison C, Reynaud-Gaubert M, Haloun A, Laurent M, Hachulla E, Cottin V, Degano B, Jaïs X, Montani D, Souza R, Simonneau G.A

Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Respiratoire, Faculté de Médecine, Hôpital Antoine Béclère, Assistance-Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris-Sud 11, 92140 Clamart, France.

Abstract
 
BACKGROUND: Novel therapies have recently become available for pulmonary arterial hypertension. We conducted a study to characterize mortality in a multicenter prospective cohort of patients diagnosed with idiopathic, familial, or anorexigen-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension in the modern management era.
METHODS AND RESULTS: Between October 2002 and October 2003, 354 consecutive adult patients with idiopathic, familial, or anorexigen-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (56 incident and 298 prevalent cases) were prospectively enrolled. Patients were followed up for 3 years, and survival rates were analyzed. For incident cases, estimated survival (95% confidence intervals [CIs]) at 1, 2, and 3 years was 85.7% (95% CI, 76.5 to 94.9), 69.6% (95% CI, 57.6 to 81.6), and 54.9% (95% CI, 41.8 to 68.0), respectively. In a combined analysis population (incident patients and prevalent patients diagnosed within 3 years before study entry; n=190), 1-, 2-, and 3-year survival estimates were 82.9% (95% CI, 72.4 to 95.0), 67.1% (95% CI, 57.1 to 78.8), and 58.2% (95% CI, 49.0 to 69.3), respectively. Individual survival analysis identified the following as significantly and positively associated with survival: female gender, New York Heart Association functional class I/II, greater 6-minute walk distance, lower right atrial pressure, and higher cardiac output. Multivariable analysis showed that being female, having a greater 6-minute walk distance, and exhibiting higher cardiac output were jointly significantly associated with improved survival.
CONCLUSIONS: In the modern management era, idiopathic, familial, and anorexigen-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension remains a progressive, fatal disease. Mortality is most closely associated with male gender, right ventricular hemodynamic function, and exercise limitation.
 
Comment in • Circulation. 2010 Jul 13;122(2):106-8.
 
PMID:20585011