TY - JOUR T1 - Pulmonary hypertension in obesity-hypoventilation-syndrome JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 38 IS - Suppl 55 SP - p2376 AU - Christoph Kauppert AU - Iris Dvorak AU - Johannes Gebauer AU - Florian Kollert AU - Frank Heinemann AU - Michael Pfeifer AU - Stephan Budweiser Y1 - 2011/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p2376.abstract N2 - Introduction: In Obesity-Hypoventilation-Syndrome (OHS), pulmonary hypertension (PH) is considered a common feature.Aims: To determine frequency and severity of PH in OHS patients treated with non-invasive pressure ventilation (NPPV).Methods: Prospective cross-sectional study of consecutive patients admitted for follow-up of NPPV (initiated ≥3 months before). OHS was defined by BMI≥30kg/m2, capillary carbondioxid tension (PaCO2)≥45mmHg prior NPPV initiation without other causes for hypoventilation. Right-heart catheterization (RHC) was performed at rest without oxygen supplementation, daytime sleepiness measured by Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).Results: 177 patients considered to have OHS were screened. Among 64 patients who met the diagnosis criteria for OHS, 21 patients (10f, 11m; median age 62.2 [53.9;71.7] years, BMI 45 [40;53] kg/m2, PaCO2 39.6 [37.8;45.5] mmHg) gave consent for RHC. Only 4 (19%) patients had normal mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP<20mmHg), mPAP 18 [15;18.5] mmHg and pulmonary vascular resistance index (PVRI) 224 [148;305] dyn*sec*m2/cm5; 8 patients (38.1%) presented with “Borderline”-PH (mPAP 20-24mmHg), mPAP 22 [22.5;23] mmHg and PVRI 392 [287;485] and 9 patients (42.9%) had a manifest PH (mPAP≥25mmHg), mPAP 33 [29;34] mmHg and PVRI 440 [384;728]. In 3 patients with PH, pulmonary capillary wedge pressure was >15mmHg; 2 of them presented with transpulmonary pressure gradient >12mmHg. In patients with PH, ESS (7 [6;11]) was significantly higher than in those without PH (3 [0.5;5.5], p=0.03) or Borderline-PH (3.5 [2.5;6.5], p=0.03).Conclusion: Mild to moderate PH is quite frequent in OHS, even after initiation of NPPV. Its impact on survival and quality of life has to be studied in future trials. ER -