Risk factors for poor outcome in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) who are at risk for pulmonary hypertension (PH) were similar to others with SSc-PH and SSc-pulmonary arterial hypertension, a recent study found. Other risk factors were male sex, diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO)< 50%, exercise oxygen desaturation, and pericardial effusions. This according to researchers who sought to identify predictors of mortality and cardiopulmonary hospitalizations in patients at risk for PH and enrolled in PHAROS, a recent prospective cohort study to investigate the natural history of PH in SSc. They found:

• Of the 236 at-risk subjects who were followed for a median of 4 years, 35 developed PH after entering PHAROS (reclassified as PH group).
• In the at-risk group, higher mortality was strongly associated with male sex, low %DLCO, exercise oxygen desaturation, anemia, abnormal dyspnea scores, and baseline pericardial effusion.
• Risks for cardiopulmonary hospitalization were associated with increased dyspnea and pericardial effusions, although PH patients with DLCO <50% had the highest risk of cardiopulmonary hospitalizations.