Table 1.
Baseline characteristics for demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters
| Number of patients | 55 |
|---|---|
| Sex (women/men) | 37/18 (67/33) |
| Age (years) | 62 ± 15 |
| BSA (m2) | 1.9 ± 0.2 |
| Etiology of pulmonary hypertension | |
| Group I (pulmonary arterial hypertension, PAH) | 40 (73) |
| Group II (due to left heart disease) | 5 (9) |
| Group III (due to lung diseases and/or hypoxia) | 1 (2) |
| Group IV (due to chronic thromboembolism) | 9 (16) |
| Group V (unclear and/or multifactorial mechanisms) | 0 (0) |
| Laboratory parameters | |
| NT-proBNP (ng/L) | 979 [329–2286] |
| Saturation peripheral (%) | 93 ± 4 |
| Comorbidites | |
| Diabetes | 14 (26) |
| Hypertension | 13 (24) |
| Coronary artery disease | 7 (13) |
| Chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases | 7 (13) |
| Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome | 1 (3) |
| 6-min walking test (m) | 325 [200–412] |
| Functional class, NYHA | |
| I | 3 (6) |
| II | 29 (53) |
| III | 19 (35) |
| IV | 4 (7) |
| Medication | |
| O2 | 14 (26) |
| Diuretics | 26 (47) |
| Calcium antagonists | 10 (18) |
| ACE/ARB blockers | 13 (24) |
| Beta blockers | 14 (26) |
| Nitrates | 3 (6) |
| ERA | 8 (15) |
| PDE5I | 8 (15) |
| Prostanoids | 1 (2) |
| sGCS | 1 (2) |
Data are expressed as mean ± SD, median [inter-quartile range] or as number (percentage). BSA Body surface area, NT-proBNP brain natriuretic peptide, ACE Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme, ARB Angiotensin Receptor Blockers, ERA Endothelin Receptor Antagonist, PDE5I Phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, sGCS Guanylate Cyclase Stimulators