Cardiopulmonary Hemodynamic Determinants of Long-Term Survival in Sickle Cell Disease: Insights from the ETENDARD Study.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious cardiopulmonary complication of sickle cell disease (SCD), but the prognostic impact of hemodynamic parameters remains poorly defined. This study aimed to assess the clinical and long-term prognostic relevance of hemodynamic parameters in SCD. Data were analyzed from the French Etendard cohort. All 398 participants underwent echocardiography; those with tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) ≥ 2.5 m/s proceeded to right heart catheterization. Over a minimum 10-year follow-up, we examined the clinical and prognostic significance of hemodynamic variables. PH defined by a mean pulmonary arterial pressure (mPAP) > 20 mmHg was identified in 44 patients (11%). Among them, 26 (6.5%) had a pulmonary arterial wedge pressure (PAWP) ≤ 5 mmHg, and 18 (4.5%) had a PAWP>15 mmHg. Mortality during follow-up was 11.1%. A significant association was found between pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) levels and mortality risk, with a threshold identified at 1.5 Wood units through ROC analyses. In patients with mPAP > 20 mmHg and PVR ≥ 1.5 WU, the adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for mortality was 4.27 (95% CI: 1.88-9.74; p < 0.001). A hemolytic phenotype and the presence of systemic complications, including hypertension, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, renal impairment, and leg ulcers, were associated with elevated PVR and increased mortality risk. A PVR threshold of 1.5 WU emerges as a key predictor of mortality in patients with a mPAP above 20 mmHg, particularly when assessed in conjunction with markers of hemolysis and systemic complications.