Abstract
Introduction: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) [comprising coronary artery disease (CAD), cerebro-vascular disease (CeVD), peripheral vascular disease (PVD)] and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are major health problems. COPD may contribute to the disease severity in patients with CVD.
The COPD-CVD association occurs not by chance, but due to shared risk factors and a common pro-inflammatory predisposition. Most studies describe the prevalence of CVD in COPD; this study looked for COPD in patients with CVD.
Objectives:
To study the occurrence of COPD among patients with proven CVD
To study the association of COPD severity and co-morbid CVD.
Study design: This study was conducted at Narayana Health City, among 501 consecutive subjects with proven CVD. COPD was diagnosed by a screening questionnaire and confirmed by spirometry.
Results: There were 501 cases of CVD, 419 [82%] males, 82 [16.4%] females (mean age 66.74 years). COPD was diagnosed in 113 [23%], higher than expected for the general population.There were equal numbers in the GOLD low (Group A +B) and high risk (Groups C+D) groups. Smoking was the commonest risk factor.Of 99 patients had >1 vascular disease, 48.48% had COPD.
COPD did not occur more frequently in those with CAD alone (p= 0.782), but was significantly associated with CeVD [n=8 (12.3%, p = 0.034)], and with PVD [n=17 26.2%, p = 0.047)].
Conclusions:
COPD contributes to morbidity, and perhaps mortality in CVD patients.
Co-existing COPD is commoner in those with >1 vasculopathy.
Patients with vascular diseases should be screened for COPD.
References
McGarvey LP, et al. Ascertainment of causespecific mortality in COPD: operations of the TORCH ClinicalEndpoint Committee. Thorax 2007; 62: 411–15.
GOLD 2012.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015
