A pilot study to examine association of BMI with functional class and 6 min walk distance in idiopathic and heritable PAH: Possible association with estrogen metabolism

Abstract

Abstract The hypothesis that a relationship exists between body mass index (BMI), functional class, and 6 min walk distance (6MWD) in Group 1‐pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was examined. Analysis of data from the UK National Cohort Study for heritable pulmonary arterial/idiopathic PAH suggests increased BMI is a predictor of worse functional class and shorter 6MWD; increased body‐weight in mice and man may be associated with increased estrogen metabolism.

Keywords

• estrogen
• estrogen metabolites
• obesity
• pulmonary hypertension
• sex