[Multicenter study of disease attributes in adult patients with pulmonary hypertension]

To understand the demographic, hemodynamic and clinical features of adult patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) in China.

Between May 2007 and October 2010, a total of 551 adult PH patients were recruited from 31 clinical centers all over China. All fulfilled the traditional hemodynamic criteria diagnosed through right heart catheterization (RHC). The relevant data of demographic, clinical and hemodynamic features of all patients, analyzed the similarities and differences of demographic characteristics between different subtypes. They were divided into 2 groups: WHO functional class I/II and III/IV. And their hemodynamic and clinical features were compared.

There were 165 males and 386 females with a mean age of (35 ± 12) years. The mean body mass index (BMI) was (21 ± 4) kg/m(2). There were pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH, n = 487) and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH, n = 64). Fatigue (421, 76.4%) and dyspnea (398, 72.2%) were the most common symptoms; Physical examination revealed such a common sign as an accentuated pulmonic second sound (P(2)) in 510 patients (92.6%). Over half (325, 59.0%) of them were of WHO functional class II and 213 (38.6%) patients functional class III. The 6-minute walking distance (6MWD) and Borg dyspnea score were (352 ± 91) m and 3.0 (2.0 - 4.0) respectively. ECG of 497 (90.2%) patients showed right ventricular hypertrophy. Mean right atrial pressure was (9 ± 6) mm Hg (1 mm Hg = 0.133 kPa), pulmonary arterial pressure (67 ± 20) mm Hg, cardiac index (2.7 ± 1.2) Lmin(-1)m(-2) and pulmonary vascular resistance (1496 ± 783) dyn.sec.cm(-5).

Young females with a low BMI are predominantly affected by PH. Severe functional and hemodynamic compromises often appear on presentation. And hemodynamic impairment is correlated with 6MWD and WHO functional class.