Obesity Is Associated With Pulmonary Hypertension and Modifies Outcomes

Background Experimental studies support a link between obesity and pulmonary hypertension (PH), yet clinical studies have been limited. This study sought to determine the association of obesity and pulmonary hemodynamic measures and mortality in PH. Methods and Results We examined patients undergoing right‐sided heart catherization (2005–2016) in a hospital‐based cohort. Multivariable regression models tested associations of body mass index and pulmonary vascular hemodynamics, with PH defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure >20 mm Hg, and further subclassified into precapillary, postcapillary, and mixed PH. Multivariable Cox models were used to examine the effect of PH and obesity on mortality. Among 8940 patients (mean age, 62 years; 40% women), 52% of nonobese and 69% of obese individuals had evidence of PH. Higher body mass index was independently associated with greater odds of overall PH (odds ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.29–1.40; P