COPD is emerging as one of the important public health challenges and a major cause of chronic morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Many times they fail to improve with existing treatment, thus making one think of associated co-morbidities. Aim: To study the pattern of co-existing cardiovascular morbidities in COPD patients. METHODS: The study was done on 300 patients of COPD presenting to department. The diagnosis of COPD was based on history, clinical examination and post bronchodilator spirometric measurements. COPD patients were investigated for coexistence of cardiovascular manifestations systemic hypertension, pulmonary artery hypertension, coronary artery disease and right ventricular failure by ECG and Echocardiography. RESULTS: 3.7% patients had findings suggestive of involvement of cardiovascular system on examination but 53% of the patients had abnormal ECG findings suggestive of CVS involvement. Out of 159(53%) patients with ECG suggestive of involvement of cardiovascular system, 0 (0%) belonged to stage 1, 30 (19.9%) to stage 2, 67 (42.1%) to stage 3 and 48 (30.2%) were in stage 4 of COPD. On echocardiographic evaluation, 114 (38%) patients had echocardiographic evidence of ventricular hypertrophy. 107 (35.6%) patients had atrial hypertrophy, 63 (21%) cases had evidence of pulmonary artery hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: COPD should be treated as a systemic disease and management involves various specialties. Abnormal ECG found in absence of any clinical signs among patients with COPD so these patients should get a complete cardiovascular profile done. Understanding association between COPD and cardiovascular conditions is of primary importance to improve the health status of these patients.
Chawla et al. (Mon,) studied this question.