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Minhas J, Moutchia J, Al-Naamani N, Mazurek JA, Holmes JH, Appleby D, Smith KA, Fritz JS, Pugliese SC, Palevsky HI, Kawut SM. Electrocardiographic Abnormalities and Their Association with Outcomes in Randomized Clinical Trials of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Ann Am Thorac Soc 2024; 21:858-865. [PMID: 38241602 PMCID: PMC11160135 DOI: 10.1513/annalsats.202307-609oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Rationale: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease with manifestations including right atrial enlargement, right ventricular dysfunction, dilation, and hypertrophy. Electrocardiography (ECG) is a noninvasive, inexpensive test that is routinely performed in clinical settings. Prior studies have described separate abnormal findings in the electrocardiograms of patients with PAH. However, the role of composite ECG findings reflective of right heart disease (RHD) for risk stratification, clinical trial enrichment, and management of patients with PAH has not been explored. Objectives: To describe a pattern of RHD on ECG in patients with PAH and to investigate the association of this pattern with clinical measures of disease severity and outcomes. Methods: We harmonized individual participant data from 18 phase III randomized clinical trials of therapies for PAH (1998-2013) submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. RHD was defined as the presence of right ventricular hypertrophy, right axis deviation, right atrial enlargement, or right bundle branch block on ECG. Random effects linear regression, multilevel ordinal regression (cumulative link model), and Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the association of RHD by ECG with 6-minute walk distance (6MWD), World Health Organization (WHO) functional class, and clinical worsening after a priori adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and PAH etiology. Effect modification of treatment and ECG abnormalities was assessed by including an interaction term. Results: A total of 4,439 patients had baseline ECG, and 68% of patients had evidence of RHD. RHD on ECG was associated with higher pulmonary vascular resistance (P < 0.001) and higher mean pulmonary artery pressures (P < 0.001). Patients with RHD on ECG had 10 meters shorter 6MWD (P = 0.005) and worse WHO functional class (P < 0.001) at baseline. RHD on baseline ECG was associated with increased risk of clinical worsening (hazard ratio, 1.42; 95% confidence interval; 1.21, 1.67; P < 0.001). Patients with RHD had greater treatment effect in terms of 6MWD, WHO functional class, and time to clinical worsening than those without (P for interaction = 0.03, 0.001, and 0.03, respectively). Conclusions: RHD by ECG may be associated with worse outcomes and potentially greater treatment effect. Electrocardiograms could be an inexpensive, widely available noninvasive method to enrich clinical trial populations in PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jude Moutchia
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, and
| | | | - Jeremy A. Mazurek
- Division of Cardiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - John H. Holmes
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, and
| | - Dina Appleby
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, and
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DesJardin JT, Kime N, Kolaitis NA, Kronmal RA, Lammi MR, Mathai SC, Ventetuolo CE, De Marco T. Investigating the "sex paradox" in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Results from the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry (PHAR). J Heart Lung Transplant 2024; 43:901-910. [PMID: 38360160 DOI: 10.1016/j.healun.2024.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Female sex is a significant risk factor for pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), yet males with PAH have worse survival - a phenomenon referred to as the "sex paradox" in PAH. METHODS All adult PAH patients in the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry (PHAR) with congruent sex and gender were included. Baseline differences in demographics, hemodynamics, functional parameters, and quality of life were assessed by sex. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate survival by sex. Mediation analysis was conducted with Cox proportional hazards regression by comparing the unadjusted hazard ratios for sex before and after adjustment for covariates. The plausibility of collider-stratification bias was assessed by modeling how large an unmeasured factor would have to be to generate the observed sex-based mortality differences. Subgroup analysis was performed on idiopathic and incident patients. RESULTS Among the 1,891 patients included, 75% were female. Compared to men, women had less favorable hemodynamics, lower 6-minute walk distance, more PAH therapies, and worse functional class; however, sex-based differences were less pronounced when accounting for body surface area or expected variability by gender. On multivariate analysis, women had a 48% lower risk of death compared to men (Hazard Ratio 0.52, 95% Confidence interval 0.36 - 0.74, p < 0.001). Modeling found that under reasonable assumptions collider-stratification could account for sex-based differences in mortality. CONCLUSIONS In this large registry of PAH patients new to a care center, men had worse survival than women despite having more favorable baseline characteristics. Collider-stratification bias could account for the observed greater mortality among men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline T DesJardin
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California.
| | - Noah Kime
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nicholas A Kolaitis
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Richard A Kronmal
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Matthew R Lammi
- Comprehensive Pulmonary Hypertension Center - University Medical Center, Louisiana State University, New Orleans, Louisiana
| | - Stephen C Mathai
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Corey E Ventetuolo
- Department of Medicine and Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Teresa De Marco
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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Neelakantan S, Vang A, Mehdi RR, Phelan H, Nicely P, Imran T, Zhang P, Choudhary G, Avazmohammadi R. Right ventricular stiffening and anisotropy alterations in pulmonary hypertension: Mechanisms and relations to function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.592212. [PMID: 38854032 PMCID: PMC11160581 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.592212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
Aims Pulmonary hypertension (PH) results in an increase in RV afterload, leading to RV dysfunction and failure. The mechanisms underlying maladaptive RV remodeling are poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the multiscale and mechanistic nature of RV free wall (RVFW) biomechanical remodeling and its correlations with RV function adaptations. Methods and Results Mild and severe models of PH, consisting of hypoxia (Hx) model in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats (n=6 each, Control and PH) and Sugen-hypoxia (SuHx) model in Fischer (CDF) rats (n=6 each, Control and PH), were used. Organ-level function and tissue-level stiffness and microstructure were quantified through in-vivo and ex-vivo measures, respectively. Multiscale analysis was used to determine the association between fiber-level remodeling, tissue-level stiffening, and organ-level dysfunction. Animal models with different PH severity provided a wide range of RVFW stiffening and anisotropy alterations in PH. Decreased RV-pulmonary artery (PA) coupling correlated strongly with stiffening but showed a weaker association with the loss of RVFW anisotropy. Machine learning classification identified the range of adaptive and maladaptive RVFW stiffening. Multiscale modeling revealed that increased collagen fiber tautness was a key remodeling mechanism that differentiated severe from mild stiffening. Myofiber orientation analysis indicated a shift away from the predominantly circumferential fibers observed in healthy RVFW specimens, leading to a significant loss of tissue anisotropy. Conclusion Multiscale biomechanical analysis indicated that although hypertrophy and fibrosis occur in both mild and severe PH, certain fiber-level remodeling events, including increased tautness in the newly deposited collagen fibers and significant reorientations of myofibers, contributed to excessive biomechanical maladaptation of the RVFW leading to severe RV-PA uncoupling. Collagen fiber remodeling and the loss of tissue anisotropy can provide an improved understanding of the transition from adaptive to maladaptive remodeling. Translational perspective Right ventricular (RV) failure is a leading cause of mortality in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). RV diastolic and systolic impairments are evident in PH patients. Stiffening of the RV wall tissue and changes in the wall anisotropy are expected to be major contributors to both impairments. Global assessments of the RV function remain inadequate in identifying patients with maladaptive RV wall remodeling primarily due to their confounded and weak representation of RV fiber and tissue remodeling events. This study provides novel insights into the underlying mechanisms of RV biomechanical remodeling and identifies the adaptive-to-maladaptive transition across the RV biomechanics-function spectrum. Our analysis dissecting the contribution of different RV wall remodeling events to RV dysfunction determines the most adverse fiber-level remodeling to RV dysfunction as new therapeutic targets to curtail RV maladaptation and, in turn, RV failure in PH.
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Dignam JP, Sharma S, Stasinopoulos I, MacLean MR. Pulmonary arterial hypertension: Sex matters. Br J Pharmacol 2024; 181:938-966. [PMID: 37939796 DOI: 10.1111/bph.16277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a complex disease of multifactorial origin. While registries have demonstrated that women are more susceptible to the disease, females with PAH have superior right ventricle (RV) function and a better prognosis than their male counterparts, a phenomenon referred to as the 'estrogen paradox'. Numerous pre-clinical studies have investigated the involvement of sex hormones in PAH pathobiology, often with conflicting results. However, recent advances suggest that abnormal estrogen synthesis, metabolism and signalling underpin the sexual dimorphism of this disease. Other sex hormones, such as progesterone, testosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone may also play a role. Several non-hormonal factor including sex chromosomes and epigenetics have also been implicated. Though the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are complex, several compounds that modulate sex hormones levels and signalling are under investigation in PAH patients. Further elucidation of the estrogen paradox will set the stage for the identification of additional therapeutic targets for this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Dignam
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Smriti Sharma
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Ioannis Stasinopoulos
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
- Mass Spectrometry Core, Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility, Queen's Medical Research Institute, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
| | - Margaret R MacLean
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland, UK
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Weatherald J, Moutchia J, Al-Naamani N, McClelland RL, Ventetuolo CE, Palevsky HI, Harhay MO, Kawut SM. Win Statistics in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Clinical Trials. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023; 208:1231-1234. [PMID: 37734029 PMCID: PMC10868347 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202305-0800le] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Weatherald
- Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jude Moutchia
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
| | - Nadine Al-Naamani
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | | | - Corey E. Ventetuolo
- Department of Medicine and
- Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Harold I. Palevsky
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Michael O. Harhay
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Steven M. Kawut
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Moutchia J, McClelland RL, Al-Naamani N, Appleby DH, Blank K, Grinnan D, Holmes JH, Mathai SC, Minhas J, Ventetuolo CE, Zamanian RT, Kawut SM. Minimal Clinically Important Difference in the 6-minute-walk Distance for Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023; 207:1070-1079. [PMID: 36629737 PMCID: PMC10112451 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202208-1547oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The 6-minute-walk distance (6MWD) is an important clinical and research metric in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH); however, there is no consensus about what minimal change in 6MWD is clinically significant. Objectives: We aimed to determine the minimal clinically important difference in the 6MWD. Methods: We performed a meta-analysis using individual participant data from eight randomized clinical trials of therapy for PAH submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to derive minimal clinically important differences in the 6MWD. The estimates were externally validated using the Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry. We anchored the change in 6MWD to the change in the Medical Outcomes Survey Short Form physical component score. Measurements and Main Results: The derivation (clinical trial) and validation (Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry) samples were comprised of 2,404 and 537 adult patients with PAH, respectively. The mean ± standard deviation age of the derivation sample was 50.5 ± 15.2 years, and 1,849 (77%) were female, similar to the validation sample. The minimal clinically important difference in the derivation sample was 33 meters (95% confidence interval, 27-38), which was almost identical to that in the validation sample (36 m [95% confidence interval, 29-43]). The minimal clinically important difference did not differ by age, sex, race, pulmonary hypertension etiology, body mass index, use of background therapy, or World Health Organization functional class. Conclusions: We estimated a 6MWD minimal clinically important difference of approximately 33 meters for adults with PAH. Our findings can be applied to the design of clinical trials of therapies for PAH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jude Moutchia
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
| | - Robyn L. McClelland
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Nadine Al-Naamani
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Dina H. Appleby
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
| | - Kristina Blank
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Dan Grinnan
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia
| | - John H. Holmes
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
| | - Stephen C. Mathai
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jasleen Minhas
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Corey E. Ventetuolo
- Departments of Medicine and Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; and
| | - Roham T. Zamanian
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California
| | - Steven M. Kawut
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics and
- Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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