Pulmonary Artery Stiffness and Right Ventricular Function: A Superior Predictor of Mortality in Mild Pulmonary Hypertension

Highlight

• Pulmonary artery compliance (PAC), arterial elastance (Ea), and stroke volume index (SVI) independently predict mortality in mild pulmonary hypertension (PH), unlike mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR).
• This prognostic significance extends across the full spectrum of PH severity and various etiological subgroups.
• Parameters integrating pulsatile vascular load and right ventricular (RV) function provide better risk stratification, particularly in early-stage or mild PH, where conventional steady-flow metrics fall short.

Study Background