title: Effects of Surgical and Medical Treatment on Quality of Life for Patients With Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to investigate the predictors of quality of life (QOL) in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), changes in QOL after surgical and medical treatments, and the relationship between baseline QOL and survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  QOL was measured in 128 patients with CTEPH (male/female: 42/86, age: 56±12 years, surgical/medical: 65/63) using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis showed pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and 6-min walking distance (6MWD) were associated with physical functioning (PF) (P<0.01) and physical component summary (PCS) (P<0.01). In the surgical group, 7 subscales and 2 summary scores improved significantly, and in the medical group 6 subscales and the mental component summary, although the change in QOL was greater in the surgical group. The patients in the conventional therapy group with higher PF had significantly better survival than those with lower PF (5-years survival: 89.5% vs. 50.8%, P=0.002). This difference in survival was not observed in the group receiving pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)-specific therapy (100% vs. 100%, P=0.746).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PVR and 6MWD were associated with PF or PCS in CTEPH patients. QOL improved after surgical or medical therapy, with a greater change in the surgical group. PAH-specific therapy improved survival in patients with lower PF at diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Respirology, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urushibara
authors.forename: Nobuhiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tanabe
authors.forename: Rika
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Suda
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kasai
authors.forename: Takao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekine
authors.forename: Rintaro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Takayuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jujo
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shigeta
authors.forename: Seiichiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakao
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tatsumi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D011788:Quality of Life; D015996:Survival Rate