Treatment strategies and survival of patients with connective tissue disease and pulmonary arterial hypertension: a COMPERA analysis

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) occurs in various connective tissue diseases (CTDs). We sought to assess contemporary treatment patterns and survival of patients with various forms of CTD-PAH. Methods We analysed data from COMPERA, a European pulmonary hypertension registry, to describe treatment strategies and survival in patients with newly diagnosed PAH associated with SSc, SLE, MCTD, UCTD and other types of CTD. All-cause mortality was analysed according to the underlying CTD. For patients with SSc-PAH, we also assessed survival according to initial therapy with endothelin receptor antagonists (ERAs), phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5is) or a combination of these two drug classes. Results This analysis included 607 patients with CTD-PAH. Survival estimates at 1, 3 and 5 years for SSc-PAH (n = 390) were 85%, 59% and 42%; for SLE-PAH (n = 34) they were 97%, 77% and 61%; for MCTD-PAH (n = 33) they were 97%, 70% and 59%; for UCTD-PAH (n = 60) they were 88%, 67% and 52%; and for other CTD-PAH (n = 90) they were 92%, 69% and 55%, respectively. After multivariable adjustment, the survival of patients with SSc-PAH was significantly worse compared with the other conditions (P = 0.001). In these patients, the survival estimates were significantly better with initial ERA–PDE5i combination therapy than with initial ERA or PDE5i monotherapy (P = 0.016 and P = 0.012, respectively). Conclusions Mortality remains high in patients with CTD-PAH, especially for patients with SSc-PAH. However, for patients with SSc-PAH, our results suggest that long-term survival may be improved with initial ERA–PDE5i combination therapy compared with initial monotherapy.