Key result
Specialized facility care is linked to ~76% higher initiation of combination therapy for PAH.
Why the study?
Nationwide patient access to specialized centers and initial treatment regimens for pulmonary arterial hypertension in Japan remains unclear.
Observational (n=13,228)
Yes
Nationwide data from Japan reveals significant regional disparities in patient access to specialized PAH centers and initiation of disease-specific combination therapy.
Specialized PAH care was associated with higher combination therapy initiation; hypothesis-generating and should not yet change referral practices.
BACKGROUND: Improved prognosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been reported from specialized facilities, though nationwide patient access to both specialized centers and initial treatment regimen in Japan remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study group comprised patients with PAH defined as having disease-specific ICD-10 code, administration of medications and diagnostic testing between 2012 and 2023 in the National Database of Health Insurance Claims. Among 13,228 patients across the country, 30.7% accessed Japan Pulmonary Hypertension Registry facilities and 23.7% were initiated with disease-specific combination therapy, though numbers varied across regions. CONCLUSIONS: Regional disparities in access to disease-specific specialized treatment for PAH need to be addressed.
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Iwahori et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) (n=13,228). Treatment at specialized facilities (JAPHR) vs. Treatment at non-specialized facilities (non-JAPHR) was evaluated on Initiation of PAH-specific combination therapy. Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension attending specialized facilities were more likely to initiate disease-specific combination therapy (34.9%) compared to those attending non-specialized facilities (19.8%).
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