Key result
PAH is linked to ~24% more comorbidities and distinct multimorbidity networks versus matched controls.
Why the study?
Considerable variability exists in the clinical presentations of PAH, and a greater understanding of comorbidities in Chinese patients with PAH was urgently needed.
What are the multimorbidity patterns and co-occurring chronic diseases in Chinese patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to matched controls?
Observational (n=5,168)
What are the multimorbidity patterns and co-occurring chronic diseases in Chinese patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension compared to matched controls?
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Patients with PAH have a higher mean number of comorbidities but less dense multimorbidity networks compared to matched controls, highlighting specific co-occurring conditions like renal osteodystrophy and cardiovascular illnesses.
Background: Considerable variability exists in the clinical presentations of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Greater understanding of the comorbidities observed in Chinese patients with PAH is urgently needed. Methods: This 10-year retrospective analysis was based on clinical data from hospital discharge records for individuals diagnosed with PAH (n = 2584). We used propensity score matching to match patients with PAH to individuals without a PAH diagnosis in a ratio of 1:1, by age, sex, discharge time, and department, over the same period. We constructed multimorbidity networks based on sex and age, and used the cosine index to measure the co-occurrence of chronic diseases. Results: The mean numbers of comorbidities were 4.7 and 3.8 for patients with PAH and controls, respectively. The main central and hub disorders were renal osteodystrophy, cardiovascular illnesses, background retinopathy, diabetes mellitus, systemic lupus erythematosus, epilepsy, and autoimmune hemolytic anemia. The average neighbor degree and closeness were significantly smaller in the multimorbidity networks of patients with PAH than control participants (Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings may aid in preventing comorbidities among patients with PAH and deepening understanding of the underlying physiopathological mechanisms.
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Zhang et al. (2025) conducted an observational in Pulmonary arterial hypertension (n=5,168). Pulmonary arterial hypertension (exposure) vs. Individuals without a PAH diagnosis was evaluated on Mean number of comorbidities (p=<0.05). Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension had a higher mean number of comorbidities than matched controls (4.7 vs 3.8), with significantly different multimorbidity network structures (P<0.05).
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