Pulmonary Hypertension and Malnutrition in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with significant morbidity and increases the risk of complications such as pulmonary hypertension (PH). Most COPD patients also have malnutrition. Considering the substantial burden of COPD in India, we conducted this study to determine the prevalence of PH in COPD and to assess malnutrition using various anthropometric parameters. Methods: In this single-center, cross-sectional study, we enrolled diagnosed COPD patients as per the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) 2017 guidelines. PH was diagnosed if pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) was >25 mm Hg on screening 2D echocardiogram. Body mass index (BMI) and other standard anthropometric measurements were taken for each patient included in the study. Results: In 120 COPD patients (mean age: 60.2 ± 10.9 years; 69.2% male), PH was diagnosed in 88.3% of patients. PH severity was associated with increasing GOLD stages (I–IV) of COPD, as indicated by significantly lower PAP in higher GOLD stages. By BMI, 34.2% were underweight, 12.5% were overweight, and 4.2% were obese. With increasing severity of COPD as per GOLD stages I to IV, the mean BMI and waist–hip ratio values were significantly declining. Conclusion: In COPD patients, the prevalence of PH is substantial, and malnutrition is not uncommon, which may be overlooked during routine clinical visits. Careful evaluation and treatment of these complications are necessary to improve outcomes in all COPD patients.