Pulmonary function and diffusion capacity are associated with pulmonary arterial systolic pressure in the general population: The Rotterdam Study

Changes in Pulmonary Artery Pressure Late in Life: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

BACKGROUND

Although the prognostic implications of higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) are well established, few data exist regarding longitudinal change in pulmonary pressure in late life.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to quantify changes in PASP over 6 years and determine the relative contributions of cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction.

METHODS

Among 1,420 participants in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study with echocardiographic measures of PASP at both the fifth (2011-2013) and seventh (2018-2019) visits, longitudinal changes in PASP over about 6.5 years were quantified. Multivariable regression was used to determine the extent to which cardiac and pulmonary dysfunction were associated with changes in PASP and to define the relationship of changes in PASP with dyspnea development.

RESULTS

The mean age was 75 ± 5 years at visit 5 and 81 ± 5 years at visit 7, 24% of subjects were Black adults, and 68% were women. Over the 6.5 years, PASP increased by 5 ± 8 mm Hg, from 28 ± 5 to 33 ± 8 mm Hg. PASP increased more in older participants. Predictors of greater increases in PASP included worse left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, pulmonary function, and renal function. Increases in PASP were associated with concomitant increases in measures of LV filling pressure, including E/e' ratio and left atrial volume index. Each 5 mm Hg increase was associated with 16% higher odds of developing dyspnea (OR: 1.16; 95% CI: 1.07-1.27; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Pulmonary pressure increased over 6.5 years in late life, was associated with concomitant increases in LV filling pressure, and predicted the development of dyspnea. Interventions targeting LV diastolic function may be effective at mitigating age-related increases in PASP.

Deep Learning for Detection of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension Using Chest X-Ray Images

Background

Stress echocardiography is an emerging tool used to detect exercise-induced pulmonary hypertension (EIPH). However, facilities that can perform stress echocardiography are limited by issues such as cost and equipment.

Objective

We evaluated the usefulness of a deep learning (DL) approach based on a chest X-ray (CXR) to predict EIPH in 6-min walk stress echocardiography.

Methods

The study enrolled 142 patients with scleroderma or mixed connective tissue disease with scleroderma features who performed a 6-min walk stress echocardiographic test. EIPH was defined by abnormal cardiac output (CO) responses that involved an increase in mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP). We used the previously developed AI model to predict PH and calculated PH probability in this cohort.

Results

EIPH defined as ΔmPAP/ΔCO >3.3 and exercise mPAP >25 mmHg was observed in 52 patients, while non-EIPH was observed in 90 patients. The patients with EIPH had a higher mPAP at rest than those without EIPH. The probability of PH based on the DL model was significantly higher in patients with EIPH than in those without EIPH. Multivariate analysis showed that gender, mean PAP at rest, and the probability of PH based on the DL model were independent predictors of EIPH. A model based on baseline parameters (age, gender, and mPAP at rest) was improved by adding the probability of PH predicted by the DL model (AUC: from 0.65 to 0.74; p = 0.046).

Conclusion

Applying the DL model based on a CXR may have a potential for detection of EIPH in the clinical setting.

Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is frequently underdiagnosed and under-evaluated in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) patients. As PH is linked to a high rate of mortality from disease-related complications like cor pulmonale, it is critical to have a unified approach to diagnosing and treating it with the aim of improving the patient's quality of life and prognosis in terms of therapeutic considerations. Early identification of this comorbidity in patients with COPD can lead to early initiation of treatment and better prognostic implications. This study was undertaken with the aim of estimating the prevalence of PH in COPD as well as assessing any statistically significant associations between the severity of PH and the severity of COPD.

Methods: This was an observational study undertaken at the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Acharya Vinoba Bhave Rural Hospital (AVBRH) in Wardha, Maharastra, India, from August 2019 to September 2021. A total of 100 patients diagnosed with COPD on the basis of spirometry were evaluated with two-dimensional (2D) echocardiography to screen for echocardiographic signs and evidence of PH and severity staging of PH if present.

Results: In our study, out of 100 diagnosed cases of COPD, the prevalence of PH was found to be 40% (40 patients) and amongst these, mild, moderate, and severe PH was seen in 26 patients (26%), nine patients (9%), and five patients (5%), respectively. The frequency of PH in moderate COPD was 25% and in severe COPD was 51.5%.

Conclusions: PH was found in almost half the COPD patients in the study. Also, the degree and frequency of PH increased with the increase in COPD severity and this was found to be statistically significant.

Effect of parathyroid hormone levels on the functional capacity and pulmonary function of patients on dialysis

Abstract Introduction: Chronic kidney disease is characterized as the gradual loss of kidney function, with patients on dialysis experiencing a decline in functional capacity and pulmonary function. One of the non-traditional risk factors is parathyroid hormone (PTH), which influences metabolism and the status of the disease. Objective: Assess the effect of parathyroid hormone levels on functional capacity and pulmonary function in patients on dialysis. Method: Cross-sectional study with hemodynamically stable dialysis patients of both sexes, aged 18 to 59 years, who did not gain more than 2.5kg between dialysis sessions. Two groups were created according to PTH blood levels: PTH (A), with values outside the normal range, and PTH (C), who exhibited normal levels of the hormone. Pulmonary function (PF) was assessed by spirometry and functional capacity (FC) via the six-minute walk test (6MWT). Results: The PTH A group displayed a negative association between PTH levels and PF, based on the values obtained for the spirometric variables forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) (r = -0.54) and forced vital capacity (FVC) (r= -0.69). The average distance walked by the PTH (C) group was 343.85 ± 98.14 meters. Conclusion: The results suggest that high PTH levels have a negative effect on the PF of patients on dialysis.

Significant Clinical Indexes of Exercise-Induced Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Connective Tissue Disease

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an important cause of morbidity in patients with connective tissue disease (CTD), and an early stage of PH could present as exercise-induced PH (EIPH). This study investigated the significant clinical indexes of EIPH in patients with CTD.

Methods and Results: We enrolled 63 patients with CTD who did not have PH at rest. All patients underwent the 6-min walk test (6MWT), and systolic pulmonary artery pressure (SPAP) was evaluated on echocardiography before and after 6MWT. EIPH was defined as SPAP ≥40 mmHg after 6 WMT. Thirty-five patients had EIPH. On univariate logistic analysis, SPAP at rest, log brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), vital capacity (VC), and forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1.0) were significantly correlated with EIPH. On multiple logistic analysis, SPAP at rest and VC were independent predictors of EIPH, whereas FEV1.0 and log BNP were not significantly associated with EIPH. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve between EIPH and BNP, SPAP at rest, VC or FEV1.0 was 0.67, 0.76, 0.74, and 0.75, respectively.

Conclusions: SPAP at rest and respiratory function, especially VC, could be independent predictors of EIPH in patients with CTD.

Restrictive Spirometry Pattern, Cardiac Structure and Function, and Incident Heart Failure in African Americans. The Jackson Heart Study

RATIONALE

Although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has been related to heart failure, the relationship between the restrictive spirometry pattern (forced vital capacity [FVC] < 80% predicted with preserved forced expiratory volume in 1 second [FEV1]/FVC ratio) and heart failure is poorly understood.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether having a restrictive spirometry pattern is associated with incident heart failure hospitalization.

METHODS

Community-dwelling African Americans from the Jackson Heart Study (total n = 5,306; analyzed n = 4,210 with spirometry and heart failure outcome data) were grouped by restrictive spirometry (FEV1/FVC ≥ 0.70, FVC < 80%; n = 840), airflow obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 0.70; n = 341), and normal spirometry (FEV1/FVC ≥ 0.70, FVC ≥ 80%; n = 3,029) at the time of baseline examination in 2000-2004. We assessed relationships of echocardiographic parameters and biomarkers with spirometry patterns using regression models. Incident heart failure was defined as an adjudicated hospitalization for heart failure after January 1, 2005 in subjects with no self-reported heart failure history. We used multivariable-adjusted Poisson regression models and Cox proportional hazards models, with death treated as a competing risk in the Cox models, to test associations between spirometry patterns and incident heart failure. We also modeled the association of FVC% predicted with heart failure hospitalization risk using a restricted cubic spline after excluding subjects with airflow obstruction.

RESULTS

At the time of baseline spirometry, participants with restrictive spirometry had a median age of 57.2 years (interquartile range, 47.8-64.1); 38.1% were male. Compared with normal spirometry, restrictive spirometry was associated with a higher transmitral early (E) wave velocity to atrial (A) wave velocity ratio, higher pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and higher endothelin levels. After a median follow-up time of 8.0 years, 8.0% of subjects with restrictive spirometry (n = 67) had developed incident heart failure, compared with 3.8% of those with normal spirometry (n = 115) and 10.6% of those with airflow obstruction (n = 36). After risk adjustment, both a restrictive pattern (hazard ratio [HR], 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.0) and airflow obstruction (HR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1-2.5) were associated with increased rates of incident heart failure hospitalization compared with normal spirometry. Using flexible modeling, the lowest hazards of heart failure hospitalization were observed around FVC 90-100%, with lower FVC% values associated with an increased incidence of heart failure.

CONCLUSIONS

Both a restrictive pattern on spirometry and airflow obstruction identify African Americans with impaired lung health at risk for heart failure.