Background: The differential treatment effect of pulmonary artery denervation (PADN) in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients with different risk burdens remains unclear. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of PADN in low vs intermediate-high-risk PAH patients.
Methods: In total, 128 patients with treatment naive PAH included in the PADN-CFDA trial were categorized into low-risk and intermediate-high-risk patients. The primary endpoint was the between-group difference in the change in 6-min walk distance (6 MWD) from baseline to 6 months.
Results: In the intermediate-high-risk group, those treated with PADN and PDE-5i had a greater improvement in 6 MWD from baseline to 6 months as compared to those treated with sham plus PDE-5i. From baseline to 6 months, pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) was reduced by -6.1 ± 0.6 and -2.0 ± 0.7 Wood units following PADN plus PDE-5i and sham plus PDE-5i, respectively, along with the significant reduction of NT-proBNP in the intermediate-high-risk group. However, there were no significant differences in 6 MWD, PVR, and NT-proBNP between the PADN plus PDE-5i and sham plus PDE-5i groups among low-risk patients. Moreover, the right ventricular function was equally improved by PADN treatment across the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups. Clinical worsening was less with PADN plus PDE-5i treatment during the 6-month follow-up.
Conclusions: In patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary artery denervation plus PDE-5i improved exercise capacity, NT-proBNP, hemodynamic, and clinical outcomes during the 6-month follow-up among intermediate-high risk patients.
Keywords: 6-min walk distance; pulmonary arterial hypertension; pulmonary arterial pressure; pulmonary artery denervation; risk stratification.
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