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BACKGROUND: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease characterized by elevated pulmonary artery pressure, leading to right heart dysfunction. Methamphetamine-associated PAH (Meth-APAH) is increasing alongside rising methamphetamine use in the U.S. We sought to examine Meth-APAH prevalence, patient characteristics and treatment trends nationwide. METHODS: Medical and pharmacy claims data from Komodo Health and Symphony Health Solutions databases was analyzed to identify patients with Meth-APAH and non-Meth-APAH, assessing demographics, diagnosis trends and treatment patterns. RESULTS: Claims analysis identified 3590 patients with Meth-APAH and 52,349 patients with non-Meth-APAH, all of whom received at least one PAH medication. The number of patients with Meth-APAH increased by 93% from 2018 to 2022, disproportionate to the rise in estimated number of adults with past-year methamphetamine use, as reported by NSDUH. Compared to patients with non-Meth-APAH, patients with Meth-APAH were more likely to be male, younger, Medicaid-insured, and predominantly residing in the Western United States. Additionally, patients with Meth-APAH were more frequently prescribed dual or triple PAH therapies and exhibited lower treatment adherence. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights distinct characteristics of the growing Meth-APAH population, emphasizing the necessity for greater national awareness. Critical measures include improved routine screening, tailored pharmacologic and addiction treatments, longitudinal psychosocial support, and adequate documentation of methamphetamine use within healthcare claims to effectively address the unmet needs in this population.
Kim et al. (Sat,) studied this question.