Table I.
Clinical Characteristics of the 3 Groups
| Characteristic | Normal | PH-C | PH-D | P Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | 10 | 20 | 26 | |
| Age, y | 51±10 | 54±12 | 51±12 | NS |
| Female | 7 (70%) | 15 (75%) | 18 (69%) | NS |
| WHO functional class | 1.6±0.7 | 2.7±1.0a | 3.4±0.6a,b | <.0001 |
| 6-min walking distance, m | 37±395 | 265±115a | 165±97a,b | .0002 |
| Resting heart rate, bpm | 71±8 | 77±15 | 88±14a,b | .002 |
| Etiology | ||||
| WHO group I | ||||
| Idiopathic | 5 (25%) | 7 (27%) | ||
| Familial | 0 | 1 (4%) | ||
| Connective tissue disease | 7 (35%) | 7 (27%) | ||
| Portopulmonary hypertension | 0 | 1 (4%) | ||
| WHO group III | ||||
| Chronic lung disease | 4 (20%) | 8 (31%) | ||
| WHO group IV | ||||
| CTED | 4 (20%) | 2 (8%) | ||
| Blood chemistry | ||||
| Serum sodium, mEq/L | 141±2 | 139±3 | 139±3 | NS |
| BUN, mg/dL | 14±3 | 20±12 | 22±14 | NS |
| Serum creatinine, mg/dL | 0.8±0.1 | 1.1±0.3a | 1.1±0.4a | .03 |
Abbreviations: bpm, beats per minute; BUN, serum urea nitrogen; CTED, chronic thromboembolic disease; NS, not significant; PH-C, pulmonary hypertension and hemodynamically compensated right ventricular function; PH-D, pulmonary hypertension and hemodynamically decompensated right ventricular function; WHO, World Health Organization. Data are mean ± standard deviation.
a
P<.05 PH-C vs normal or PH-D vs normal.
b
P<.05 PH-D vs PH-C.