Abstract Introduction The lung is the most commonly affected organ in sarcoidosis, present in over 90% of cases. However, cardiac involvement may also occur and can significantly complicate patient outcomes. We propose to explore further. Methods Adults with isolated pulmonary sarcoidosis and combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis were identified using ICD-10 codes from the National Inpatient Sample (2016-2022). Patients with any additional organ involvement beyond lung or heart were excluded to ensure distinct comparison groups. We compared age, sex, race, insurance type, hospital characteristics, comorbidities, and healthcare burden between groups. Results Over the seven-year study period, we identified 154, 125 hospitalizations of patients with either isolated pulmonary or combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis. Of these, 2. 41% (n = 3, 715) were combined pulmonary-cardiac cases, while the remainder were isolated pulmonary sarcoidosis. Patients with combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis were significantly younger (mean age: 58. 2 vs. 62. 0 years, p 0. 001), but had a higher mean Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score (3. 49 vs. 2. 77, p 0. 001) compared to those with isolated pulmonary disease. Multiple demographic differences were found: isolated pulmonary cases were predominantly female (59. 5%), with a higher proportion of White patients (46. 7%), whereas combined cases were predominantly male (60. 4%), with a higher proportion of Black patients (53. 0%). Both groups were primarily covered by Medicare (58. 1% of isolated vs. 48. 1% of combined), with a higher proportion of combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis cases treated at urban teaching centers (92. 3% vs. 78. 9%, p 0. 001). Patients with combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis demonstrated a higher prevalence of multiple comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease, prior myocardial infarction, complete atrioventricular block, obstructive sleep apnea, congestive heart failure, peripheral vascular disease, and valvular disease. Conversely, the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was lower in this group. Hospitalization burden was substantially greater among patients with combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis (Charlson Comorbidity Index 2. 77±0. 01 vs. 3. 49±0. 07), evidenced by longer mean length of stay (6. 1±0. 05 vs. 7. 6±0. 32 days) and significantly higher total hospital charges (82, 987±1, 121 vs. 122, 460±6, 991) (Table 1). Conclusions Combined pulmonary-cardiac sarcoidosis affected younger patients with greater comorbidity and hospitalization burden, with notable racial disparities. As cardiac sarcoidosis is frequently underdiagnosed, systematic cardiac screening protocols in high-risk sarcoidosis patients are essential for earlier detection and improved management. This abstract is funded by: None
Singh et al. (2026) studied this question.