Survival and prognostic factors in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension.
OBJECTIVE
Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) that affects predominantly young and productive people is a progressive fatal disease of unknown cause. The objectives of this study were to characterize mortality in patients with PPH and to investigate the factors associated with their survival.


METHODS
Thirteen patients with PPH were enrolled between 1988 and 1996 and followed-up through July 1999. Measurements at diagnosis included hemodynamic and pulmonary function variables in addition to information on demographic data and medical history.


RESULTS
1) The mean age of the patients with PPH enrolled into the study was 36.1 +/- 9.3 years with female predominance. 2) The estimated median survival was 3.4 +/- 0.6 years. 3) Decreased cardiac index was the only significant predictor of mortality (Cox proportional hazards model).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with PPH have a poor survival expectancy. In this limited study with a small number of patients, mortality is largely associated with decreased cardiac index.
Chun
K J
KJ
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, Pusan National University, Pusan, Korea.
Kim
S H
SH
An
B J
BJ
Kim
S H
SH
Ha
J K
JK
Hong
T J
TJ
Shin
Y W
YW
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality*; D015994:Incidence; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis