A recent study published in a Canadian Respiratory Journal demonstrated the effect of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and post-transplant in patients with pulmonary fibrosis. Patients who have undergone lung transplantation (LT) for pulmonary fibrosis experience pulmonary hypertension, which leads to impairment of the lungs, decreased physical activity, and an increased mortality rate.
The prospective study included 39 patients (82% [32/39], median age 52.6 years, SD: 10.2]) undergoing lung transplantation. Parameters such as the pulmonary function, 6-min walk test (6MWT), and St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) were evaluated at different periods of 3, 6, and 12 months after transplantation.
The survival rate was determined using the Kaplan–Meier method and analyzed using the log-rank test. Minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) were determined between the groups with and without PH.
Both groups improved in all parameters from pre-transplantation to one year after transplantation. The results also showed that patients without PH showed MCID in SGRQ total scores and 6MWT from pre-LT through the 6- and 12-month follow-up.
The results reported a survival rate of 84.6% (average) and an average survival of 10.5 months. The study reported a 5-year overall survival rate of 61.5% (average survival = 44.89 months).
No differences in survival were found based on mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP), sex, age, or body mass index (BMI) at 1 and 5 years.
