Arterial stiffness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined with arterial hypertension

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and arterial hypertension are common non-communicable diseases.

The aim of the study: to investigate the vascular stiffness in patients having a combination of COPD and arterial hypertension compared with patients with essential arterial hypertension.

Materials and Methods: The cross-sectional study included 78 people. The 1^st group consisted of 39 people with COPD GOLD stages I-II combined with arterial hypertension (59.1 [56; 62] years). The 2^nd group included 39 people with arterial hypertension (56.5 [52; 61] years). The groups were comparable by gender and age. Exclusion criteria were age>65 years, obesity, diabetes mellitus, ‎secondary arterial hypertension. Cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) as an indicator of arterial stiffness was determined using volume sphygmography (VaSera VS 1500 N). Total cholesterol, high- and low-density lipoproteins were also analyzed.

Results: The median value of CAVI exceeded the conditional normal level (8.0) in both groups. In the 1st group CAVI was significantly higher than in the patients with isolated arterial hypertension (8.9 [8.3; 9.5] and 8.2 [7.4; 9.1], respectively, p=0.02). CAVI values exceeding the normal level were registered in 82% of patients in the 1^st group and 62% of patients in the 2^nd group (p=0.02). There were no differences in the cholesterol or lipoproteins content between the groups.

Conclusion: The arterial stiffness in patients having COPD combined with arterial hypertension is higher than in patients with isolated arterial hypertension. This may be due to low-intensity systemic inflammation that exacerbates endothelial damage in COPD.