Predictors of mortality in pulmonary arterial hypertension

Actuarial survival in PAH has been predicted mainly by functional class and echocardiographic evidence of right heart failure. Observing 484 patients with WHO group I PAH for 5 years after diagnosis, Kane et al showed that using their own multivariate model (incorporating clinical data including renal function, BNP, DLCO, BP & HR, etc.) generated better survival predictions than functional class and/or RV function. It also performed slightly better than the REVEAL criteria, a mortality prediction model they validated (and which held up well) in this cohort. CHEST 2011;139:1285-1293.