Abstract
Rationale: Data from recent registries have shown that the mean age of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is increasing.
Aim: To describe clinical and haemodynamic characteristics of incident (i.e. newly diagnosed) patients >70 yr included in the French Registry with a diagnosis of idiopathic (IPAH), heritable (HPAH) or anorexigen-related (ArPAH) PAH.
Methods: Data from all newly-diagnosed adult patients with IPAH, HPAH or ArPAH included in the French Registry between November 2006 and November 2009 were collected. Patients without right heart catheterization confirmation and those with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure > 15 mmHg were excluded.
Results: Among the 350 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 100 (28.5%) were >70 yr. Clinical and haemodynamic characteristics at time of diagnosis are shown in the Table. Survival rates at 1, 2 and 3 years were 79%, 60% and 47% in those >70 yr, as compared to 92%, 84% and 76% in the 18-70 yr group, respectively (p<0.01).
Conclusions: These results show an increasing proportion of elderly male among patients with IPAH and ArPAH. Patients >70 yr have a worse outcome than younger patients despite a less severe haemodynamic impairment.
- © 2011 ERS
