Project 467190

Background:Patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) have high pressure in the blood vessels that carry blood through the lungs to the heart. Recent PAH studies have shown a high percentage of patients that are older than 65 years old and have more medical problems. Frailty is a condition in which there is a loss of physical function and/or health capacities, making it difficult to cope with everyday stressors. A major determinants of frailty is loss of muscle mass, strength, and function. There is lack of knowledge in association of frailty and skeletal muscle health on quality of life and daily function, which may have important effects on healthcare use (such as hospitalization) and survival. Objectives:1) To evaluate differences between frail and non-frail PAH patients with respect to disease severity, exertional tolerance, and quality of life. 2) To assess differences in skeletal muscle size and function between frail and non-frail patients. Research method:Frailty will be evaluated based on five pre-determined parameters which are shrinking, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slowness. We will ask patients with PAH to perform a variety of physical tests to assess their muscle size, quality, and strength. Moreover, we will use several validated questionnaires to assess patient’s quality of life, activities of daily living and physical abilities. Significance: The project will provide a better understanding of the impact of frailty and muscle health in patients with PAH. The ability to recognize modifiable risk factors is valuable since it can highlight helpful ways on improving quality of life and daily function through lifestyle interventions.