Pulmonary hypertension and clinical correlates in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) has been investigated in a small number of studies. Purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence and its association with outcome in a population of consecutive HCM outpatients.

We retrospectively analyzed data of 361 consecutive HCM outpatients in whom echocardiographic measurements of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) were available at initial and most recent evaluation. Four different clinical groups were specifically investigated: patients without left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (group A, 165), with obstruction (group B, 126), patients diagnosed at the age≥65 (group C, 50) and patients with end stage (ES) HCM (group D, 20).

PH was identified in 41 (11.4%) of the 361 patients at initial evaluation while it has been recognized in 25 (7,8% [1.1%/year]) during a median follow-up of 3.4years. Analysis of subgroups showed that prevalence of PH increased from patient group A to D (8%, group A, 19%, group B, 28% group C, 70%, group D, respectively, p<0,01). During follow-up, patients with PH showed a significant higher HCM-related mortality (p=0.01) and morbidity (p<0.001) as compared with those without PH, but in multivariable analysis, PH resulted an independent risk factor only for HCM-related morbidity (HR=2.50, 95% CI 1.08-5.79, p=0.03).

PH affects a significant proportion of patients with HCM. Its prevalence varies according to different clinical profiles. It is associated with an unfavorable clinical outcome and is an independent predictor of morbidity.