Pulmonary vascular resistance determines mortality in end-stage renal disease patients with pulmonary hypertension

Chronic kidney disease and pulmonary hypertension: Progress in diagnosis and treatment

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a medical condition characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and pressure, resulting from different diseases. Due to their high occurrence of PH, intricate hemodynamic classification, and frequently multifactorial cause and mechanism, individuals suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) are categorized as the fifth primary group of PH. Based on both domestic and international research, this article provides information on the epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, and targeted drug treatment of PH associated with CKD.

Pulmonary hypertension and chronic kidney disease: prevalence, pathophysiology and outcomes

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is common in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) or kidney failure, with an estimated prevalence of up to 78% in those referred for right-heart catheterization. PH is independently associated with adverse outcomes in CKD, raising the possibility that early detection and appropriate management of PH might improve outcomes in at-risk patients. Among patients with PH, the prevalence of CKD stages 3 and 4 is estimated to be as high as 36%, and CKD is also independently associated with adverse outcomes. However, the complex, heterogenous pathophysiology and clinical profile of CKD-PH requires further characterization. CKD is often associated with elevated left ventricular filling pressure and volume overload, which presumably leads to pulmonary vascular stiffening and post-capillary PH. By contrast, a distinct subgroup of patients at high risk is characterized by elevated pulmonary vascular resistance and right ventricular dysfunction in the absence of pulmonary venous hypertension, which may represent a right-sided cardiorenal syndrome defined in principle by hypervolaemia, salt avidity, low cardiac output and normal left ventricular function. Current understanding of CKD-PH is limited, despite its potentially important ramifications for clinical decision making. In particular, whether PH should be considered when determining the suitability and timing of kidney replacement therapy or kidney transplantation is unclear. More research is urgently needed to address these knowledge gaps and improve the outcomes of patients with or at risk of CKD-PH.

Epidemiology, Pathogenesis, and Clinical Approach in Group 5 Pulmonary Hypertension

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is recognized to be associated with a number of comorbid conditions. Based on these associations, PH is classified into 5 groups, considering common pathophysiologic drivers of disease, histopathologic features, clinical manifestations and course, and response to PH therapy. However, in some of these associated conditions, these characteristics are less well-understood. These include, among others, conditions commonly encountered in clinical practice such as sarcoidosis, sickle cell disease, myeloproliferative disorders, and chronic kidney disease/end stage renal disease. PH in these contexts presents a significant challenge to clinicians with respect to disease management. The most recent updated clinical classification schemata from the 6th World Symposium on PH classifies such entities in Group 5, highlighting the often unclear and/or multifactorial nature of PH. An in-depth review of the state of the science of Group 5 PH with respect to epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management is provided. Where applicable, future directions with respect to research needed to enhance understanding of the clinical course of these entities is also discussed.

Relationship Between Parathyroid Hormone and Pulmonary Artery Hypertension Among Patients Undergoing Hemodialysis

Background: Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is linked with morbidity and mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. The relationship between serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PAH is still a subject of debate. Objectives: The goal of the present study was to assess the association between PTH and PAH among HD patients. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that assessed HD patients in a tertiary hospital in Mashhad, Iran. Echocardiography was performed for all patients to measure pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and ejection fraction. Laboratory data, including serum calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D, serum albumin, and alkaline phosphatase, were extracted from patient documents. The statistical tests included independent t-test, Mann-Whitney, chi-squared test, and logistic regression. Results: A total of 78 patients (43 males and 35 females) participated in this study. The mean age was 37.25 ± 11.98 years old. There was a significant difference in the PAH distribution pattern between hyperparathyroidism and normal PTH groups (P = 0.003). PAH was significantly related to hyperparathyroidism (P = 0.004, OR = 4.557), age (P = 0.033, OR = 0.944), and calcium level (P = 0.005, OR = 0.336). After adjusting for other variables, the odds ratio for the relationship between PAH and hyperparathyroidism increased to 7.593. Conclusions: The findings of this study supported the possible link between hyperparathyroidism, serum calcium level, and PAH in HD patients.