Mi Ryoung SEO1, Jina YEO1, Hee Jung RYU1, Hyo-jin CHOI1, Kwang-pil KO2, Han Joo BAEK1

1Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, South Korea
2Department of Preventive Medicine, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, South Korea

Keywords: Connective tissue diseases, hypertension, prognosis, pulmonary, rheumatic diseases, systolic pulmonary artery pressure

Abstract

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the outcomes and risk factors associated with the progression of systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases.

Patients and methods: A total of 532 patients (73 males, 459 females; median age 49 years; interquartile range (IQR), 36 to 62 years) registered with the Registry of Pulmonary Hypertension Associated with Rheumatic Diseases were included. Mortality curves were constructed using the Kaplan- Meier method and comparisons were performed using the log-rank test. A paired t-test was performed to evaluate the patients with markedly elevated sPAP between baseline and follow-up.

Results: The average follow-up duration was 31 months (IQR, 9 to 60 months). Of the patients, 196 had follow-up echocardiographs at least one year later. We defined the sPAP over 60 mmHg as markedly elevated. Patients in the increased sPAP above 60 mmHg at follow-up and persistently markedly elevated sPAP were associated with worse outcomes in all-cause mortality and pulmonary arterial hypertension-related mortality (p<0.001). In patients with systemic sclerosis, the majority of patients remained static within their pressure group or rose progressively: the patients with markedly elevated sPAP at follow-up were higher than those at baseline (32% versus 15%, p<0.01). In patients with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) or rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the majority of patients remained static within their pressure group or gradually improved: the patients with markedly elevated sPAP at follow-up were lower than those at baseline (RA=14% versus 29%, MCTD=5% versus 16%, p<0.05).

Conclusion: Persistently high sPAP or increase of sPAP over 60 mmHg at follow-up was associated with increased mortality. There were some differences in the progression of sPAP according to the underlying rheumatic diseases.

Citation: Seo MR, Yeo J, Ryu HJ, Choi HJ, Ko KP, Baek HJ. Outcomes and Risk Factors of Systolic Pulmonary Artery Pressure Progression in Patients With Systemic Rheumatic Diseases: Follow-up Results from a Korean Registry. Arch Rheumatol 2020;35(4):558-567.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article.

Financial Disclosure

The authors received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article.

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge and thank all investigators, participants, and staff included in this study.