Is Pulmonary Vascular Resistance Index Better than Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Predicting Outcomes in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Abstract Background In contrast to pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR), PVR index (PVRI) accounts for variations in body habitus. We tested the association of PVRI compared to PVR with clinical outcomes in lean and obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Methods This retrospective study included adult patients with PAH who underwent right heart catheterization at Cleveland Clinic between February 1992 and November 2019. Results We included 644 patients (mean age, 53 ± 16 years, and 74 % females). PAH was idiopathic or heritable in 44% of patients. Cardiac output increased (p Conclusions PVRI appears to have a stronger association than PVR with disease severity markers in PAH; however, both PVR and PVRI were similarly associated with hospitalizations and survival in the overall cohort. We found no strong evidence to recommend a change from PVR to PVRI in the definition of PAH.