An article recently published in the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift reported on a multicentre, non-interventional study of 79 patients who started pulmonary arterial hypertension therapy ≤12 months prior to study inclusion. Data available per routine clinical practice were collected. Furthermore, physician’s rationale for treatment decision was assessed.
Key findings: A patient’s risk level was the main reason doctors chose combination therapy, while the presence of other health conditions (comorbidities) was the main reason doctors chose single-drug therapy instead — doctors tended to be more cautious with combination treatment in patients who had additional health problems. Over the two years of follow-up, use of combination therapy rose steadily, from under half of patients at the start to nearly four in five by month 24, and the share of patients reaching low-risk status more than doubled over the same period. Patients who started on combination therapy from the outset were significantly more likely to see their functional class improve, and were also more likely to reach low-risk status, compared to those who started on a single drug.
Bottom line: Even though doctors tend to hold back on combination therapy in patients with other health conditions, the data suggests these patients might actually benefit more from starting on combination treatment early, rather than less — a finding that pushes back against current cautious prescribing habits.
Read more at this link on the Deutsche Medizinische Wochenschrift
Citation
Klose H, Roitenberg A, Kronberg K. Factors influencing treatment decisions in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2026 Sep 9. English. doi: 10.1055/a-2893-7266. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42716062.