Regional Disparities in Access to Specialized Facilities and Prescription Preference for Initial Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Treatment ― A Nationwide Study Using the National Database of Health Insurance Claims ―
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Improved prognosis of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) has been reported from specialized facilities, though nationwide patient access to both specialized centers and initial treatment regimen in Japan remains unclear. METHODS AND RESULTS: The study group comprised patients with PAH defined as having disease-specific ICD-10 code, administration of medications and diagnostic testing between 2012 and 2023 in the National Database of Health Insurance Claims. Among 13,228 patients across the country, 30.7% accessed Japan Pulmonary Hypertension Registry facilities and 23.7% were initiated with disease-specific combination therapy, though numbers varied across regions. CONCLUSIONS: Regional disparities in access to disease-specific specialized treatment for PAH need to be addressed.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Pulmonary Hypertension Research and Treatments
Cardiac Valve Diseases and Treatments
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Research
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Circulation Journal
- Publisher
- Japanese Circulation Society
- Volume
- 90
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 736–738
- Publication date
- 27 January 2026
- Language
- EN