A recent study published in Pulmonary Circulation, summarised in an article by Andrea Lob on Pulmonary Hypertension News, found that early diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) – within six months of first healthcare contact for symptoms – improves five-year survival by 42 percentage points compared to delayed diagnosis (two years or more). Five-year survival was 73% with early diagnosis versus only 31% with delayed diagnosis.
Researchers analyzed electronic health records of 160 adult pulmonary arterial hypertension patients from the Mayo Clinic who had at least one eligible event (symptom or cardiopulmonary diagnosis) before pulmonary arterial hypertension confirmation by right heart catheterization.
“Our results highlight the importance of how an earlier diagnosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension may improve outcomes for patients,” researchers wrote. “Future research to determine whether earlier diagnosis is associated with earlier initiation of treatment at a low‐risk stage of pulmonary arterial hypertension is warranted.”
Read more at this link on Pulmonary Hypertension News