A study of cadiovascular morbidities in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Patients with COPD associated with CVD experience high rates of morbidity, including worse quality of life, dyspnea and exercise tolerance. This study has been carried out to highlight the prevalence of cardiac co-morbidities so that future trends of management are directed with keeping them in mind.
Methods: This study was a prospective observational hospital based prevalence study. The diagnosis of COPD was based on symptoms and was confirmed by spirometry.
Results: A Total of 406 patients included, 232 (57.15%) were males and 174(42.85%) were females. The mean age of the patients with standard deviation was 68.62 + /- 9.75. Out of the 406 patients, 270 (66.50%) had stable COPD while the rest 136 (33.49%) came with exacerbations. Cardiovascular co-morbidity was present in 200 cases, out of which, 116 (58%) were males and 84(42%) were females. The different CVS co-morbidities found in this study were: 150 (36.94 %) had hypertension,104 (25.61 %) had right ventricular dysfunction, 128 (31.52 %) had coronary artery disease, 132 (32.51 %) had cardiac arrhythmias and 48 (11.82 %) had heart failure. Different types of arrhythmias found in the study population were atrial fibrillation in 12( 9.11%), multifocal atrial tachycardia in 54( 40.9%), sustained ventricular tachycardia in 24(18.18%) ,and non-sustained ventricular tachycardia in 42(31.81 %).
Conclussion: COPD is associated with a wide spectrum of cardiovascular co-morbidities. Males and heavy smokers have higher incidence of cardiac co-morbidities. Most of the cases with cardiac co-morbidities were in exacerbation.