Cureus. 2026 May 28;18(5):e109819. doi: 10.7759/cureus.109819. eCollection 2026 May.
ABSTRACT
Introduction Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a chronic progressive disease that affects quality of life (QoL). The prevalence of mood disorders in PH patients in Saudi Arabia is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with PH and to examine their association with health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods This was a prospective cross-sectional observational study. In this study, 42 PH patients were evaluated for mood disorders using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and HRQoL was assessed using the Short Form 36 (SF-36) Health Survey. Results In the current study, 42 PH patients were evaluated. The cohort's mean age was 42.8±13.3 years, and 31 (74%) were women. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was 46.4±15 mm Hg, and 25 (60%) patients had severe PH (mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP)>45 mmHg). Thirty-eight (90%) patients were in World Health Organization Functional Class (WHO-FC) II/III, and four (10%) were in WHO-FC IV. HADS anxiety and depression scores were elevated (11-21) in four (10%) and six (14%) patients, respectively. The presence of anxiety and/or depression affected HRQoL. Conclusion Anxiety and depression were infrequent among PH patients. Further studies with formal psychosocial evaluation are needed to confirm these findings.
PMID:42367401 | PMC:PMC13310158 | DOI:10.7759/cureus.109819