Impact of SARS-CoV-2-Pandemic on Mental Disorders and Quality of Life in Patients With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Background/Objective: Covid-19 pandemic may affect mental health and quality of life (QoL) in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). We assessed changes in anxiety and depression, quality of life (QoL) and self-described impact of Covid-19 in patients with PAH during the Covid-19 pandemic.Methods: This study included 152 patients with PAH from two German referral centers. Anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-A and HADS-D) at two different timepoints before and during the Covid-19 pandemic with a median of 232 days between baseline and follow-up. QoL was assessed using EQ-5D and emPHasis-10. Perceived impact of Covid-19 and related regulations and measures were assessed using a set of specific questions and statements.Results: More than two thirds of patients had an unsuspicious HADS-A and HADS-D. Median scores did not differ from baseline for both HADS-A and HADS-D (p = 0.202; p = 0.621). Overall, no significant changes in HADS-A or HADS-D categories from baseline to follow up were observed (p = 0.07; p = 0.13). QoL did not change between baseline and follow-up. The Covid-19 pandemic had little impact on access to medical care and established PAH therapy. Patients were in agreement with governmental measures and regulations and felt sufficiently safe.Conclusion: First waves of Covid-19 pandemic had little impact on anxiety, depression and QoL in patient with PAH. Established PAH therapy and access to medical care were not affected. Further studies on the impact of prolonged duration of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic are needed.

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The Impact Of Health-Related Quality Of Life On Outcomes In Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

10.1164/ajrccm-conference.2010.181.1_meetingabstracts.a4829 ◽

2010 ◽

Author(s):

Stephen C. Mathai ◽

Monica Bueso ◽

Noah Lechtzin ◽

Danielle Boyce ◽

Sukhminder Singh ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Pulmonary Arterial ◽

The Impact

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Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Complicating Congenital Heart Disease: Advances in Therapy

Seminars in Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine ◽

10.1055/s-0037-1606222 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 38 (05) ◽

pp. 636-650 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Margarita Brida ◽

Laura Price ◽

Colm McCabe ◽

Rafael Alonso-Gonzalez ◽

Stephen Wort ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Congenital Heart Disease ◽

Heart Disease ◽

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Congenital Heart ◽

Term Survival ◽

Pulmonary Arterial

AbstractCongenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common inborn defect, affecting approximately 1% of all newborns worldwide. Advances in its diagnosis and treatment have led to dramatic improvements in patients' quality of life and long-term survival. Nevertheless, despite these innovations many patients require life-long follow-up and are at risk of numerous complications, namely, residual or progressive hemodynamic lesions, arrhythmia, sudden cardiac death, and the development of heart failure and pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), despite timely surgical intervention. Ill advisedly, some patients are also lost to follow-up, assuming that their early life surgical or catheter-based intervention was curative, hence missing out on invaluable lifetime screening and timely interventions that may be necessary. Additionally, there are many patients with undiagnosed or unoperated CHD in the developing world presenting later in life with irreversible complications. Even in this modern era of diagnosis and screening, PAH-CHD remains a burden in patients with CHD, with approximations of up to 10% in this heterogeneous group and is associated with an adverse impact on quality of life and survival.

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Palliative care in pulmonary arterial hypertension: an underutilised treatment

European Respiratory Review ◽

10.1183/16000617.0069-2018 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 27 (150) ◽

pp. 180069 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ghaleb Khirfan ◽

Adriano R. Tonelli ◽

Jennifer Ramsey ◽

Sandeep Sahay

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Palliative Care ◽

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Right Heart Failure ◽

Future Research ◽

Number Of Patients ◽

Pulmonary Arterial ◽

The Impact

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a condition characterised by increased pulmonary vascular resistance which can lead to right heart failure and premature death. It imposes a significant burden on patients' lives, affecting their physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Pharmacological therapies are the mainstay of treatment; while they are not curative, they can alleviate patient suffering, improve quality of life and delay disease progression. Despite these therapies, disease progresses in a significant number of patients, who are faced with the debilitating symptoms of PAH and treatment adverse effects. Palliative care is focused on providing relief from symptoms caused by a chronic illness. Palliative care aims to improve the health-related quality of life for patients and families, and although it is deemed appropriate at any stage of disease, it is most helpful when explored early in the course of disease. Importantly, palliative care can be provided in concert with pharmacological treatment. Despite its potential benefits, palliative care is frequently underutilised. There is a paucity of clinical studies testing the impact of palliative care in PAH which prompted us to summarise the available evidence, recognise obstacles in its utilisation and identify areas for future research.

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EXPRESS: Association of daily physical activity with psychosocial aspects and functional capacity in patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: a cross-sectional study

Pulmonary Circulation ◽

10.1177/2045894021999955 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 204589402199995

Author(s):

Layse Nakazato Lima ◽

Felipe Mendes ◽

Ilma Paschoal ◽

Daniela Oliveira ◽

Marcos Mello Moreira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Functional Capacity ◽

Daily Physical Activity ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Pulmonary Arterial ◽

The Mean

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) impairs exercise tolerance and daily physical activity (PA). Aside from the hemodynamic limitations, physical, cognitive and emotional factors may play a relevant and as yet unexplored role. We investigated whether there is an association between the PA level and psychological disorders, health-related quality of life, and daily activities. We also searched for an association of the PA level with clinical factors and functional capacity. This was an analytical, cross-sectional, observational study conducted in a Brazilian University Hospital. Twenty stable PAH subjects wore an accelerometer for a week and completed an activity diary. They answered the quality of life questionnaire (SF-36), as well as the anxiety and depression scale (HADS), and the Manchester Respiratory Activities of Daily Living questionnaire (MRADL). Transthoracic echocardiography, the 6-Minute walk test (6MWT), the 1-minute sit-to-stand test (STST), and spirometry were performed. For statistical analysis we used Chi-square tests or Fisher's test as appropriate and the Mann-Whitney test to compare numerical values between two groups. The relationship between the parameters was assessed using the Spearman correlation test. The mean age was 44.3 years, 80% were women, 80% had idiopathic PAH, and 20% had connective tissue disease . The mean daily step count was 4,280 Â± 2,351, and the mean activity time was 41.6 Â± 19.3 minutes. The distance covered (6MWT) was 451.5 m, and the number of movements (1-STST) was 23.8. Thirty percent scored positive for anxiety, and 15% for depression (HADS). There was a significant correlation between accelerometer data and walking distance (6MWT), number of movements (1-STST), level of daily physical activity (MRADL), and depression symptoms. Our findings support the hypothesis that other aspects beyond physical and hemodynamic ones might impact the daily physical activity of patients with PAH.

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Effect of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension-Specific Therapies on Health-Related Quality of Life

CHEST Journal ◽

10.1378/chest.13-2634 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 146 (3) ◽

pp. 686-708 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Gilles Rival ◽

Yves Lacasse ◽

Sylvie Martin ◽

Sébastien Bonnet ◽

Steeve Provencher

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Health Related Quality ◽

Related Quality ◽

Health Related ◽

Pulmonary Arterial

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A prescribed walking regimen plus arginine supplementation improves function and quality of life for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: a pilot study

Pulmonary Circulation ◽

10.1177/2045893217743966 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 204589321774396 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Mary Beth Brown ◽

Attie Kempf ◽

Catherine M. Collins ◽

Gary M. Long ◽

Matthew Owens ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽

Arterial Hypertension ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Proof Of Concept ◽

Concept Study ◽

Sf 36 ◽

Pulmonary Arterial ◽

Arginine Supplementation

Current evidence suggests that exercise training is beneficial in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Unfortunately, the standard supervised, hospital-based programs limit patient accessibility to this important intervention. Our proof-of-concept study aimed to provide insight into the usefulness of a prescribed walking regimen along with arginine supplementation to improve outcomes for patients with PAH. Twelve PAH patients (all women) in New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class (FC) II (n = 7) or III (n = 5) and in stable condition for ≥ 3 months were enrolled. Patients performed home- and fitness-center- based walking at 65–75% heart rate (HR) reserve for 45 min, six sessions/week for 12 weeks. Concomitant L-arginine supplementation (6000 mg/day) was provided to maximize beneficial endothelial training adaptations. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing, 6-min walk testing (6MWT), echocardiography, laboratory studies, and quality of life (QoL) survey (SF-36) were performed at baseline and 12 weeks. Eleven patients completed the study (72 session adherence rate = 96 ± 3%). Objective improvement was demonstrated by the 6MWT distance (increased by 40 ± 13 m, P = 0.01), VO2max (increased by 2 ± 0.7 mL/kg/min, P = 0.02), time-to-VO2max (increased by 2.5 ± 0.6 min, P = 0.001), VO2 at anaerobic threshold (increased by 1.3 ± 0.5 mL/kg/min, P = 0.04), HR recovery (reduced by 68 ± 23% in slope, P = 0.01), and SF-36 subscales of Physical Functioning and Energy/Fatigue (increased by 70 ± 34% and 74 ± 34%, respectively, P < 0.05). No adverse events occurred, and right ventricular function and brain natriuretic peptide levels remained stable, suggesting safety of the intervention. This proof-of-concept study indicates that a simple walking regimen with arginine supplementation is a safe and efficacious intervention for clinically stable PAH patients, with gains in objective function and QoL measures. Further investigation in a randomized controlled trial is warranted.

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