A Real‐World Study on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in Bulgaria: A Single‐Center Retrospective Study From 2012 to 2022
<b>Purpose:</b> This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) treated at a major reference center in Bulgaria and to assess treatment patterns, patient compliance, and overall survival. <b>Principal Results:</b> The epidemiological data revealed that 69.5% of the patients were female, with a mean age of 52 years. The majority of patients were diagnosed at advanced stages of PAH, with 92.1% classified as World Health Organization Functional Class III. Monotherapy was the most common treatment regimen, used by 61.4% of patients, despite advanced disease. Patients who adhered to treatment demonstrated significantly longer overall survival (78.9 months) compared to those lost to follow-up (50.8 months). The study also identified a 31% rate of noncompliance, with patients missing follow-up visits and becoming ineligible for further therapy. <b>Major Conclusions:</b> The findings highlight the need for earlier diagnosis and more aggressive treatment strategies, as monotherapy appears insufficient for optimal outcomes in advanced PAH. Establishing a national PAH registry and increasing disease awareness could facilitate earlier interventions and improve patient outcomes in Bulgaria.
Authors
- Daniel Penchev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9971-9466)
- Damyan Boychev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7263-8308)
- Arman Postadzhiyan (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7643-142X)
- Vasil Velchev (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-2550-835X)
- M Nacheva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7814-6564)
- Simona Markova
- É. A. Petrova
- Sarkis Kalustian
- Mihaela Manolova
Institutions
- Medical University of Sofia (BG)
- Bulgarian Food Safety Agency (BG)
- Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski" (BG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cardiology Research and Practice
- Published
- 2025-01-01
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1155/crp/5579064
- Primary Topic
- Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00