Treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension in congenital heart disease in Singapore versus the Netherlands: age exceeds ethnicity in influencing clinical outcome
Publication year
2016Source
Netherlands Heart Journal, 24, 6, (2016), pp. 410-6ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
Cardiology
Journal title
Netherlands Heart Journal
Volume
vol. 24
Issue
iss. 6
Page start
p. 410
Page end
p. 6
Subject
Radboudumc 16: Vascular damage RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health SciencesAbstract
BACKGROUND: Advanced treatment of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in congenital heart disease (CHD) is increasingly applied worldwide following the-mainly Western world based-international PAH-CHD guidelines. However, studies comparing clinical presentation and outcome after the initiation of PAH-specific treatment are lacking. We aimed to analyse this in a Singaporean and Dutch cohort of PAH-CHD patients. METHODS: Adult CHD patients starting PAH-specific therapy, enrolled in two nationwide registries, were analysed. Patients received phosphodiesterase-type-5 inhibitors, endothelin receptor antagonists, or a combination. Change in six-minute walk test (6MWT) during follow-up was analysed using linear mixed model analysis. Determinants for mortality were assessed using Cox proportional hazard analyses. RESULTS: A total of 74 patients, 45 Dutch (mean age 47 +/- 14 years) and 29 Singaporean (mean age 41 +/- 14 years) were analysed. Despite a lower 6MWT (312 versus 395 metres, p = 0.01) and peak VO2 (35 versus 49 % of predicted, p = 0.01) at baseline in Singaporean patients, the treatment effect was similar in the two populations. Age at initiation of therapy (per 5 year lower age, beta = + 4.5, p = 0.017) was the strongest predictor of improvement in exercise capacity, corrected for ethnicity, baseline 6MWT, sex and CHD defect. CONCLUSIONS: Patients from Singapore had a worse clinical performance at baseline compared with the PAH-CHD patients from the Netherlands. No relation between ethnicity and improvement in 6MWT after PAH-specific therapy was found. Age at initiation of PAH-specific therapy was the strongest predictor of treatment efficacy and mortality, emphasising the need for early initiation of treatment in these patients.
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- Faculty of Medical Sciences [80065]
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