Unveiling the metabolic challenges in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Insights into thyroid, glycemic, lipid, and...

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of thyroid, glycemic, lipid and metabolic bone disorders among adult patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

This was an observational cross-sectional clinical study with patients with PAH, matched by sex and age with a control group without PAH. All individuals were enrolled into a clinical assessment, metabolic workup, thyroid ultrasound, and bone densitometry protocol.

The PAH group included 35 participants (34 females, 46 ± 15.5 years), and the control group, 40 (39 females, 41.8 ± 13.1 years). There was no difference in body mass index (BMI) between PAH and control group (27.5 ± 5.9 and 26.9 ± 4.3 kg/m², respectively, p = 0.63; 95 % CI: -1.8, 2.94), neither in physical activity time per week (60.3 ± 103.3 and 98.9 ± 137.6, respectively, p = 0.17; 95 % CI: -95.23, 18.06). Although there was no difference in the prevalence of insulin resistance between the PAH (51.4 %) and the control group (47.5 %), p = 0.74, patients with PAH had a higher median of glycated hemoglobin (A1c) than the control group (6.1 % and 5.57 %, respectively, p = 0.006; 95 % CI: -0.14, 1.22). PAH group presented lower mean total cholesterol (170.46 ± 35.51 mg/dL) and median LDL-cholesterol [105 (83-129) mg/dL, median (P25-P75)] levels than the control group [192.1 ± 34.44 mg/dL, p = 0.009; 95 % CI = -37.76, 5.52 and 121.6 (97-145) mg/dL, p = 0.012; 95 % CI: -34.08, 0.77, respectively]. It was found a higher prevalence of hypothyroidism (22.9 %) in PAH group than in control group (2.5 %), p = 0.007. We found hyperparathyroidism (HPT) among 8 patients of PAH group (23 %), but none in the control group. Considering bone mineral density disorders, 12 patients from PAH group presented low bone mass, osteopenia, or osteoporosis (34 %), and 8 individuals in the control group (20 %), p = 0.032, which represented a 2.13 higher relative risk for those conditions for the former group. The patients with HPT presented a higher creatinine level (0.98 ± 0.12 mg/dL) than the PAH patients with normal parathyroid hormone (0.76 ± 0.14 mg/dL), p = 0.0004; 95 % CI: 0.12, 0.33. The PAH group also presented lower total hip (-0.15 ± 1.25) and femoral neck (-0.14 ± 1.07) bone mineral density (BMD) Z-scores than the control group (0.50 ± 1.13, p = 0.021; 95 % CI: -0.18, -0.027 and 0.35 ± 0.94, p = 0.038; 95 % CI: -0.16, -0.01, respectively).

In this cohort, the findings of higher A1c levels, hypothyroidism prevalence, lower LDL and total cholesterol levels, and a higher prevalence of hyperparathyroidism, as well as lower total hip and femoral neck BMD Z-scores in the PAH group, compared to the control group and highlighting the dysregulation of various metabolic pathways in patients with HAP, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to enhance patient care. Additionally, they underscore the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving these changes and their potential pathophysiological connections to the disease.