April 2023 PVRI Community Call with Bradley Wertheim

Single-center pilot study suggests a threefold increase in self-reported history of adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO) among women with subsequent diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Females with PAH and a history of APO were younger and had higher mean pulmonary artery pressures at diagnosis compared to those without a history of APO.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined hemodynamically as a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) ≥ 20 mmHg, measured at right heart catheterization (RHC). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is defined as a mPAP ≥ 20 mmHg with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) or left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) of ≤ 15 mmHg and a pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) > 2 Woods Units (WU). 

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a heterogenic diagnosis including idiopathic and hereditary PAH (IPAH/HPAH) and groups associated to connective tissue disease (APAH-CTD) and congenital heart disease (APAH-CHD). Pre- and post-diagnosis societal costs in PAH subgroups are not well known.

Webinar presentations: Age-dependent prevalence of PH in the general population, Harm Jan Bogaard, Senescence mechanisms and pulmonary vascular aging, Serge Adnot, Metabolic Syndrome and obesity leads to age-related PH, Imad Al Ghouleh, Genetics and epigenetics in age-related PH, Stephen Archer, Right heart catheterization is underused in elderly patients suspected of pulmonary hypertension, Samara Jansen