Suggested assessment and timing for the follow-up of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension
| At baseline | 3–6 months after changes in therapya | Every 3–6 months in stable patientsa | In case of clinical worsening | |
| Medical assessment (including WHO-FC) | ||||
| 6MWT | ||||
| Blood test (including NT-proBNP)b,c | ||||
| ECG | ||||
| Echocardiography or cMRI | ||||
| ABG or pulse oximetryd | ||||
| Disease-specific HR-QoL | ||||
| CPET | ||||
| RHC |
6MWT, 6-minute walking test; ABG, arterial blood gas analysis; ALAT, alanine aminotransferase; ASAT, aspartate aminotransferase; BNP, brain natriuretic peptide; cMRI, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; CPET, cardiopulmonary exercise testing; ECG, electrocardiogram; HR-QoL, health-related quality of life; INR, international normalized ratio; NT-proBNP, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide; PAH, pulmonary arterial hypertension; RHC, right heart catheterization; TSH, thyroid-stimulating hormone; WHO-FC, World Health Organization functional class. Green: is indicated; yellow: should be considered; orange: may be considered. aIntervals to be adjusted according to patient needs, PAH aetiology, risk category, demographics, and comorbidities. bBasic laboratory tests include blood count, INR (in patients receiving vitamin K antagonists), serum creatinine, sodium, potassium, ASAT/ALAT, bilirubin, and BNP/NT-proBNP. cExtended laboratory tests (e.g. TSH, troponin, uric acid, iron status, etc.) according to clinical circumstances. dABG should be performed at baseline but may be replaced by pulse oximetry in stable patients at follow-up.