The coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID‐19) pandemic threatened the Spanish health‐care system. Patients with demanding conditions such as precapillary pulmonary hypertension (PH) faced a potentially severe infection, while their usual access to medical care was restricted. This prospective, unicentric study assessed the impact of COVID‐19 on PH patients' outcomes and the operational changes in the PH network. Sixty‐three PH patients (41 pulmonary arterial hypertension [PAH]; 22 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension [CTEPH]) experienced COVID‐19. Overall mortality was 9.5% without differences when stratifying by hemodynamics or PAH‐risk score. Patients who died were older (73.6 ± 5 vs. 52.2 ± 15.4; p = 0.001), with more comorbidities (higher Charlson index: 4.17 ± 2.48 vs. 1.14 ± 1.67; p = 0.0002). Referrals to the PH expert center decreased compared to the previous 3 years (123 vs. 160; p = 0.002). The outpatient activity shifted toward greater use of telemedicine. Balloon pulmonary angioplasty activity could be maintained after the first pandemic wave and lockdown while pulmonary thromboendarterectomy procedures decreased (19 vs. 36; p = 0.017). Pulmonary transplantation activity remained similar. The COVID‐19 mortality in PAH/CTEPH patients was not related to hemodynamic severity or risk stratification, but to comorbidities. The pandemic imposed structural changes but a planned organization and resource reallocation made it possible to maintain PH patients' care.
(1) Background: Clinical presentation, disease distribution, or treatment received may provide insights into the reasons contributing to sex differences in chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). (2) Methods: We evaluated 453 patients (56% women) between 2007–2019. Data was collected from REHAP (Registro Español de Hipertensión Arterial Pulmonar) registry. Two time periods were selected to evaluate the influence of new treatments over time. (3) Results: Women were older. Baseline functional class was worse, and distance walked shorter in women compared with men. Women had higher pulmonary vascular resistances. Despite this, pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) was carried out in more men, and women received more frequently pulmonary vasodilators exclusively. The 2014–2019 interval was associated with a better survival only among women. Interestingly, women had a more distal disease during this second period of time. (4) Conclusions: Even though women were older, and received invasive treatments less frequently, mortality was similar in both sexes. The introduction of balloon pulmonary angioplasty and the improvement of pulmonary endarterectomy, especially during the last years, could be associated with a survival benefit among women.
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