Health Care Disparities in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Pulmonary Hypertension in Underrepresented Minorities: A Narrative Review

“…Pulmonary hypertension is estimated to affect around 1% of the global population, and up to 10% of individuals 65 years or older worldwide [ 6 , 7 ]. Pulmonary hypertension registries worldwide have an underrepresentation of ethnic and racial minority patients, so it is difficult to estimate the prevalence of the disease state in these groups [ 8 ].…”

“…Though premenopausal females are more likely to acquire PAH, they tend to have a better response to treatment and increased survival when compared to males [ 23 , 24 ], as well as higher right ventricular ejection fractions, lower right ventricular masses, and smaller right ventricular volumes [ 25 ]. Notably, with more recent restrictions on pregnancy termination, females with PAH who are counseled to terminate their pregnancy but are unable to access these services will likely have increased maternal and fetal morbidity, particularly those of lower SES [ 8 ].…”

“…While multiple classes of PH-targeted therapies exist, the cost of these drugs is often prohibitive, even for patients with adequate health insurance coverage. Prior studies have estimated the mean average cost per patient with PAH at USD 80,000 per year [ 8 ]. A more recent review on the issue from 2016 also found a significant economic burden on patients with PH, primarily related to medication costs, with estimates as high as over USD 11,000 per month for healthcare-related costs [ 83 ].…”