Prevalence of Pulmonary Hypertension in Sickle Cell Anemiai Patient in KSA

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a relatively common and severe complication of SCI and an independent risk factor for mortality. Sickle cell disease is considered one of the most common diseases in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. When a healthy disease related to cardiovascular health is highlighted, sickle cell anemia may be the most common and related disease in high pulmonary pressure. In this study, we aimed to determine prevalence of PHTN in SCA patient, and associated risk factors with it.

Methodology: This is an analytical cross-sectional study conducted in kingdom of Saudi Arabia (General population, SCA patient and CVD patient), from 29/7/2020 till 15/11/2020. The study was depending on online self-reported questionnaire that included assessing the demographic factors as gender, nationality besides, disease-related information: SCA patient , CVD patient and DM patient.

Results: we received 794 responses to our questionnaire where 93.5% of them were Saudi Arabian. The prevalence of sickle cell anemia is 8.8%. Male represented 29.8% of patients while female represented 52.2% of patients. In SCA patients, the prevalence of PHTN was 31.8%. Moreover, it was found that having cardiac disease is considered a risk factor for developing PHTN where 37.7% of patients having cardiac disease had PHTN compared with 6.2% of health patients (OD: 9.16, 95% CI: 5.5479 to 15.13, P=0.000) while diabetes mellitus increase risk for developing PHTN by more than seven fold (OD: 7.6, 95% CI; 4.7175 to 12.4, P=0.000) and disorder of nervous system by 12 folds (OD: 12.7; 95% CI: 7.6658 to 21.09, P=0.000).

Conclusion: we had found that the prevalence if SCA among Saudi Arabia is 8.8% with a higher prevalence in female than male. Moreover, the prevalence of PHTN in SCA patients was high about 31.8% which is much higher than its prevalence in normal individuals. Moreover, it was found that having cardiac disease is considered a risk factor for developing PHTN besides, having diabetic condition and disorder of nervous system which increased risk for developing PHTN in SCA by nine, seven and 12-fold respectively.