Determinants of physical quality of life in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension after treatment: Insights from invasive exercise stress test

Background Impaired quality of life (QoL) is prevalent among patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) despite improved survival due to medical advances. We clarified the physical QoL of patients with CTEPH with mildly elevated pulmonary hemodynamics and evaluated its determinants using a database of patients with CTEPH evaluated for hemodynamics during exercise. Methods The QoL was measured in 144 patients with CTEPH (age, 66 (58-73) years; men/women, 48/96) with mildly elevated mean pulmonary artery pressure (< 30 mmHg) at rest after treatment with balloon pulmonary angioplasty and/or pulmonary endarterectomy using the Short-Form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire. The enrolled patients were divided into two groups: physical component summary (PCS) scores in the SF-36 over 50 as PCS-good and those under 50 as PCS-poor. Results The median PCS in SF-36 score was 43.4 (IQR 32.4-49.5) points. The PCS-poor group (n = 110) was older and had lower exercise capacity and SaO2 during exercise. PCS scores were correlated with 6-minute walk distance (rs = 0.40, p < 0.001), quadriceps strength (rs = 0.34, p < 0.001), peak VO2 (rs = 0.31, p < 0.001), SaO2 at rest (rs = 0.35, p < 0.001) and peak exercise (rs = 0.33, p < 0.001), home oxygen therapy usage (rs = −0.28, p = 0.001), and pulmonary vascular resistance at peak exercise (rs = −0.26, p = 0.002). Conclusions The impairment of physical QoL was common in patients with CTEPH with improved hemodynamics; exercise capacity, hypoxemia, and hemodynamic status during exercise were related to the physical QoL.