Gender and Race Disparities in Pulmonary Hypertension Diagnosis and Treatment

Health disparities have a major impact on the quality of life and clinical care received by minorities in the United States. Underrepresented patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension may be at risk for worse outcomes. Traditionally, most pulmonary arterial hypertension registries have failed to incorporate data regarding racial ancestry, social, economic, and/or environmental differences. Furthermore, advances in biomedical research have provided extensive knowledge on the role of genetics in the pathogenesis of PAH, but whether these also impact minorities is incompletely understood. Health disparities not only have an impact on worsening mortality in patients with PAH but also create an enormous barrier in therapy and future interventions.