Extract
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare disease characterised by progressive pulmonary vascular remodelling, resulting in right ventricular failure, which is the principal cause of death [1]. Excessive bodyweight is a well-established independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease and mortality [2]. However, data have emerged for a variety of chronic cardiovascular diseases, particularly heart failure, showing lower long-term mortality in obese patients [3]. This has been termed the “obesity paradox”. It challenges clinical reasoning and the significant healthcare expenditure directed toward weight loss in the general population.
Abstract
Analysis of pulmonary arterial hypertension patients in Scotland across 20 years supports a recent French study suggesting there is no protective effect from obesity for this disease, in contrast to emerging evidence from the USA and China http://bit.ly/34WCZ7W
Footnotes
Support statement: This study was supported by British Lung Foundation grant SS16/04. Funding information for this article has been deposited with the Crossref Funder Registry.
Conflict of interest: L.L. McLean reports that he received a Summer Studentship Award 2016 from the British Lung Foundation during the conduct of the study.
Conflict of interest: K. Pellino has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: M. Brewis has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A. Peacock has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: M. Johnson has nothing to disclose.
Conflict of interest: A.C. Church has nothing to disclose.
- Received September 11, 2019.
- Accepted September 16, 2019.
- Copyright ©ERS 2019
This article is open access and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial Licence 4.0.