[Risk Stratification in Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension under Treatment - Results of Four German Centers].

Risk stratification plays an essential role in the management of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). According to the current European guidelines the expected 1-year risk of mortality for PAH patients can be categorized as low, intermediate, or high, based on clinical, non-invasive and hemodynamic data.Data from 131 patients with incident PAH (age 64 ± 14) and frequent comorbidities (in 66.4 %) treated between 2016 and 2018 at 4 German PH centers were analyzed. At baseline, most patients were classified as intermediate risk (76 %), 13.8 % as high risk and only 9.9 % as low risk.During follow-up while on treatment after 12 ± 3 months (range 9-16 months) 64.9 % were still classified as intermediate risk (76 %), 14.4 % as high risk and 20.7 % as low risk.Survival at 12 and 24 months was 96 % and 82 % in the intermediate risk group, while only 89 % and 51 % of the high risk patients were alive at these time points. In contrast, all patients in the low risk category were alive at 24 months.Despite the availability of various treatment options for patients with PAH even in specialized centers only a minority of patients can be stabilized in the low risk group associated with a good outcome.