Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression in Pulmonary Hypertension and Changes during Therapy

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) leads to reduced health-related quality of life (HRQoL).

To investigate the prevalence and course of anxiety and depression and their association with HRQoL, disease severity and survival in PH.

131 PH patients (91 pulmonary arterial, 30 chronic thromboembolic, 10 due to lung disease; 84 female, 47 male) had repeated assessments with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), HRQoL, six-minute walk distance and WHO functional class during a mean course of 16 ± 12 months.

Among the 49 incident and 82 prevalent PH patients, the HADS score was positive in 53%/21% (depression), 51%/24% (anxiety) and 63%/26% (total score) (all p < 0.05). The HADS score was improved at the second assessment in incident patients. The HADS score correlated with HRQoL at all consecutive assessments and with functional class until the third assessment, but not with baseline hemodynamics, age or gender.

Mood disorders remain underdiagnosed in PH. The higher prevalence of anxiety/depression in incident versus prevalent patients and the improvement over time may indicate an amelioration of mood disorders after PH diagnosis and treatment.