In PAH trials, clinical worsening risk rose with time

Key clinical point: A meta-analysis calls into question the need to perform pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) trials beyond 6 to 12 months of treatment in the future.

Major finding: The mean number needed to treat was stable at 52 weeks of follow-up and thereafter, while the mean relative risk of clinical worsening progressively increased from approximately 0.38 at week 16 to 0.68 at week 104.

Study details: A systematic review of 3,801 patients enrolled in 15 randomized clinical trials.

Disclosures: The authors reported disclosures related to Actelion Pharmaceuticals, Bayer, and GlaxoSmithKline, among other entities.

Source: Lajoie AC et al. Chest. 2017 May;153(5):1142-52.