Smoking: a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension?

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Environmental factors may play a role in the genesis of pulmonary hypertension, especially in endothelial dysfunction. One widespread environmental factor associated with systemic endothelial dysfunction is cigarette smoke. It may well be that cigarette smoking is not only a risk factor for systemic but also for pulmonary vascular diseases and herewith may interact with other risk factors such as a genetic background and associated conditions. The existing studies which deal with this subject are only small single center case control studies providing less data. Therefore a large European multicenter study is necessary. The investigators hypothesis are: a history of tobacco smoke exposure is highly prevalent in patients with PAH compared to the unaffected general population. a history of tobacco smoke exposure is more prevalent in patients with PAH compared to CTEPH.

Official Title
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Smoking: a Risk Factor for Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension? A D-A-CH Pulmonary Hypertension Study (Germany- Austria - Switzerland)

Conditions
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Pulmonary Hypertension

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: pulmonary artery pressure >25mmHg pulmonary capillary occlusion pressure ≤15mmHg Exclusion Criteria: pulmonary artery pressure <25mmHg pulmonary capillary occlusion pressure >15mmHg

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| PAH<br>Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PH). PH defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure >25mmHg with a pulmonary capillary occlusion pressure ≤ 15mmHg | |
| CTEPH<br>Patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. CTEPH defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure >25mmHg with a pulmonary capillary occlusion pressure ≤ 15mmHg. | |
| Controll group<br>Data from 16322 (10336 females) participants of the Swiss health survey (SHS) 2007 will serve as control. The SHS was performed in 2007, a representative sample of 30000 Swiss citizens were asked to participate, 66% answered per telephone to detailed health question. | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Difference in Prevalence of Smoking history in patients with PAH compared to unaffected general population | Patients will be asked with a specific questionnaire concerning their tobacco smoke exposure and smoking history. Control-group: Data from Swiss health survey (SHS) 2007 (Gesundheitsbefragung Schweiz). | Assessment during outpatient consultation, an expected average of 1 day. | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Pulmonary arterial Hypertension, Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, smoking