Clinical characteristics and survival of patients with pulmonary hypertension: a 40‐month mean follow‐up

Background and Aims The aim of our study was to describe the characteristics and clinical outcomes of pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients who underwent their follow‐up at a single centre. Methods We included patients who fulfilled the criteria for the diagnosis of PH by right heart catheterisation. A detailed clinical history and complete physical examination were recorded for each patient. Demographic data, laboratory testing, haemodynamic values and treatment records were also collected. A 6‐min walk test was used to evaluate exercise capacity. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan–Meier method, and a log‐rank test was used to compare survival curves among groups. A multivariate Cox's proportional hazards model was used in order to identify independent predictors of mortality in the overall PH population. Results A total of 93 patients (64 women and 29 men) were studied. The patients were distributed across the groups as follows: 50.5% in group 1, 20.4% in group 2, 9.7% in group 3, 14% in group 4 and 5.4% in group 5. The most common type of PH in our population was portopulmonary hypertension followed by PH associated with left heart disease, and idiopathic and chronic thromboembolic disease. Nineteen deaths, constituting 20.5% of the sample population, were reported. The Kaplan–Meier estimates of the 1‐, 2‐ and 3‐year survival rates were 91%, 89% and 85%, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in survival among the groups (P = 0.18). A multivariate analysis revealed that the cardiac index (CI) was an independent predictor of death. Conclusions The survival rates of PH patients are higher than previously reported. In our study, the largest number of deaths occurred in groups 1 and 2, and CI was found to be an independent predictor of mortality.