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Published on: May 11, 2015
An epidemiological study of paediatric pulmonary hypertension in Turkey
Ayhan Pektas1, Bilgehan M Pektas2, Serdar Kula3
11Department of Pediatric Cardiology,Afyon Kocatepe University Medical School Hospital,Afyonkarahisar,Turkey.
Insights
Paediatric pulmonary hypertension incidence in Turkey is higher than in Western countries, with increasing rates observed over five years. No gender dominance was noted for either idiopathic or secondary forms.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in children is a serious condition with varying epidemiological patterns globally.
- Understanding the specific characteristics of pediatric PH in Turkey is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the epidemiological features of pediatric pulmonary hypertension (PH) in Turkey.
- To analyze incidence rates of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPH) and secondary pulmonary hypertension (SPH) in children.
- To compare Turkish pediatric PH data with international findings.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Turkish National Health Insurance System registry for a 5-year period (2009-2013).
- Identified all individuals under 18 with a first-time hospital admission for IPH or SPH.
- Analyzed incidence rates, trends, age distribution, and sex ratios.
Main Results:
- Overall annual incidence of childhood IPH was 11.7/million; SPH was 9.5/million.
- Significant increases in both IPH and SPH incidence were observed annually (p=0.001).
- IPH was more common in children under 2 years in 2012-2013 (p=0.002); sex ratios differed between IPH and SPH.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric PH incidence in Turkey exceeds that reported in Western populations.
- No female predominance was observed, contrary to some international reports.
- Discrepancies may stem from variations in study design, cohort, timing, and classification definitions.
Objective:
The present study aims to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of paediatric pulmonary hypertension within the entire Turkish population over a period of 5 years using the registry of the National Health Insurance System.
Methods:
All individuals aged <18 years who were admitted to a Turkish hospital for the first time between 2009 and 2013 with a discharge diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension and secondary pulmonary hypertension were identified.
Results:
The overall annual incidence of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension during childhood was 11.7 cases/million, whereas the overall annual incidence of secondary pulmonary hypertension during childhood was 9.5 cases/million. There was a gradual and significant increase in the annual incidence of idiopathic pulmonary hypertension and that of secondary pulmonary hypertension during the 5-year study period (p=0.001 for both). In the years 2012 and 2013, idiopathic pulmonary hypertension was significantly more frequent in children aged <2 years when compared with children aged above 2 years (p=0.002 for both). The male to female ratio was 1.2:1 for idiopathic pulmonary hypertension, whereas the female to male ratio was 1.1:1 for secondary pulmonary hypertension during childhood.
Conclusion:
The incidence of paediatric pulmonary hypertension in Turkey is higher than those reported for the Western populations. Moreover, no female dominance could be observed. These discrepancies may be attributed to the differences in the study design, study cohort, timing of the study, and the definitions adopted for pulmonary hypertension classification.
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