Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 12, 2026
Increasing Pulmonary Artery Pulsatile Flow Improves Hypoxic Pulmonary Hypertension in Piglets
Published on: May 11, 2015
Risk factors for pulmonary arterial hypertension in children and young adults
Estelle Naumburg1,2, Lars Söderström2, Daniel Huber2
1Department of Clinical Science, Paediatrics, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
Insights
Preterm birth significantly increases the risk of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in children and young adults. This association persists even after accounting for known risk factors, suggesting other influences may be involved.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Medicine
- Cardiology
- Neonatology
Background:
- Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a known complication in preterm infants, often attributed to congenital heart defects and pulmonary diseases.
- The precise risk factors for PH in adolescents and children born prematurely require further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the risk of developing pulmonary hypertension (PH) in individuals following premature birth.
- To adjust for known risk factors and identify potential new contributors to PH in this population.
Main Methods:
- A national registry-based study utilizing data from the Swedish Registry of Congenital Heart Disease and the Swedish Medical Birth Register.
- Cases of PH (born 1993-2010) were identified and matched with controls. Conditional logistic regression was employed to analyze the association between preterm birth and PH, adjusting for confounding factors.
Main Results:
- One-third of PH cases and 7% of controls were born preterm.
- Preterm birth was strongly associated with PH (OR=8.46), even after adjusting for confounders.
- Congenital heart defects, pulmonary diseases, congenital diaphragm herniation, and chromosomal disorders were also linked to PH.
Conclusions:
- Children and young adults born preterm face an elevated risk of PH.
- While congenital heart defects and pulmonary diseases are recognized factors, this study suggests additional, unidentified factors contribute to PH risk in preterm infants.
Objectives:
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) has been linked to preterm birth explained by congenital heart defects and pulmonary diseases.
Working Hypothesis:
Other factors may influence the risk of PH among adolescences and children born premature.
Study Design:
This national registry-based study assess risk of PH following premature birth adjusted for known risk factors.
Patient-Subject Selection And Methodology:
All cases born 1993-2010, identified by diagnostic codes applicable to PH and retrieved from the Swedish Registry of Congenital Heart Disease (N = 67). Six controls were randomly selected and matched to each case by year of birth and hospital by the Swedish Medical Birth Register (N = 402). Maternal and infant data related to preterm birth, pulmonary diseases, and congenital defects were retrieved. The association between preterm birth and pulmonary hypertension was calculated by conditional logistic regression taking into account potential confounding factors.
Results:
One third of the cases and seven percent of the controls were born preterm in our study. Preterm birth was associated with PH, OR = 8.46 (95%CI 2.97-24.10) (P < 0.0001) even after adjusting for confounding factors. Other factors, such as acute pulmonary diseases, congenital heart defects, congenital diaphragm herniation, and chromosomal disorders were also associated with PH in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusions:
Children and young adults born preterm are known to have an increased risk of PH, previously explained by congenital heart defects and pulmonary diseases. By adjusting for such factors, our study indicates that new factors may play a role in the risk of developing PH among children born preterm. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2017;52:636-641. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
More Related Videos
10:20Right Ventricular Systolic Pressure Measurements in Combination with Harvest of Lung and Immune Tissue Samples in Mice
Published on: January 16, 2013
08:34Left Atrial Stenosis Induced Pulmonary Venous Arterialization and Group 2 Pulmonary Hypertension in Rat
Published on: November 18, 2018
Related Concept Videos
01:30Pulmonary Hypertension: Classification and Pathogenesis
There are various classifications for PH, each relating to different underlying causes and also...
01:26Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors and Calcium Channel Blockers
TKIs, such as imatinib (Gleevec), are particularly effective in tackling the growth and mitogenic factors that become upregulated in PAH patients. These factors contribute to the...
01:18Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Endothelin Receptor Antagonists
ETs are synthesized through a complex sequence of enzymatic steps, primarily involving an enzyme referred to as endothelin-converting enzyme...
01:16Treatment for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Oxygen Therapy for Respiratory Failure
Oxygen therapy is vital in increasing and maintaining blood oxygen levels in PAH patients. As a result, it aids in reducing fatigue,...
01:19Factors Affecting Pulmonary Ventilation
Alveolar Surface Tension
The alveolar fluid lines the luminal surface of the alveoli and exerts a force called surface tension. This force is caused by the polar water molecules in the liquid being more strongly attracted to each...
01:30Coronary Artery Disease I: Introduction