Iron deficiency in systemic sclerosis patients with and without pulmonary hypertension.

Objectives: SSc-associated pulmonary hypertension (SSc-PH) has a worse prognosis compared with SSc without PH (SSc-nonPH). Iron deficiency (ID) was previously associated with worse clinical outcome and survival in other types of PH, but ID effects in SSc-PH are unknown. Therefore we investigated the prevalence and clinical significance of ID in systemic sclerosis patients with and without PH.