RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Arterial stiffness in patients with COPD: the role of systemic inflammation and the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP 1306 OP 1315 DO 10.1183/09031936.00169313 VO 43 IS 5 A1 Lowie E.G.W. Vanfleteren A1 Martijn A. Spruit A1 Miriam T.J. Groenen A1 Piet L.B. Bruijnzeel A1 Ziad Taib A1 Erica P.A. Rutten A1 Jos Op ‘t Roodt A1 Marco A. Akkermans A1 Emiel F.M. Wouters A1 Frits M.E. Franssen YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/43/5/1306.abstract AB Clear evidence for an association between systemic inflammation and increased arterial stiffness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lacking. Moreover, the effects of pulmonary rehabilitation on arterial stiffness are not well studied. We aimed to 1) confirm increased arterial stiffness in COPD; 2) evaluate its correlates including systemic inflammation; and 3) study whether or not it is influenced by pulmonary rehabilitation. Aortic pulse-wave velocity (APWV) was determined in 168 healthy volunteers, and APWV and inflammatory markers were determined in 162 COPD patients during baseline evaluation of a pulmonary rehabilitation programme. A complete post-pulmonary rehabilitation dataset was collected in 129 patients. It was found that APWV was increased in COPD patients when compared with controls, blood pressure and age predicted baseline APWV, and systemic inflammatory markers were not independently related to APWV. Although baseline APWV was predictive for the change in APWV after pulmonary rehabilitation (r= -0.77), on average APWV did not change (10.7±2.7 versus 10.9±2.5 m·s−1; p=0.339). Arterial stiffness in COPD is not related to systemic inflammation and does not respond to state-of-the-art pulmonary rehabilitation. These results emphasise the complexity of cardiovascular risk and its management in COPD. Arterial stiffness in COPD is not related to systemic inflammation and does not respond to pulmonary rehabilitation http://ow.ly/tGW42