Pulmonary Hypertension

Abbreviated 3-Point Assessment Tool for Detecting PH in Patients With ILD

• Authors: Single-center retrospective derivation
• Journal / date: Pulmonary Circulation, 2026
• DOI / URL: 10.1002/pul2.70316 | PMID 42095192 | PMC13139837
• Source basis: Full text (open access)
• Study type: Single-center diagnostic tool derivation, retrospective
• PH group: Group 3 (PH-ILD)
• Population: 154 ILD patients who underwent RHC; mean age 70 ± 12 yr; PH prevalence 48.1%
• Tool design: 1 point each (range 0-3):

1. Physical exam findings suggestive of PH

2. DLCO < 40% predicted

3. Supplemental oxygen use

• Performance:
• PH prevalence by score: 14.3% (0), 58.1% (1), 79.0% (2), 87.2% (3)
• AUC 0.74 (95% CI 0.65-0.82; p<0.001)
• Score ≥2: sensitivity 90%, specificity 58%, PPV 78%, NPV 79%
• Score 3: specificity 88%, sensitivity 54%
• Why it matters (clinical takeaway):
• Simpler and more routinely deployable than the 8-variable Parikh PH-ILD Detection Tool.
• Use score ≥2 as a screen-positive threshold to trigger echo / consider RHC referral — 90% sensitivity is appropriate for screening.
• Score 3 has high specificity (88%) and should prompt earlier RHC and consideration of advanced therapies (e.g., inhaled treprostinil per INCREASE trial in PH-ILD).
• Caveats / limitations: Single center, retrospective derivation, no external validation yet. Should be prospectively validated before broad adoption.
• Referenced trials pulled forward: INCREASE (inhaled treprostinil in PH-ILD) — to add to trials/ on next pass.