Relationship Between Degree of Disease and Pathological Findings of Echocardiography in Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract

Background: Cardiovascular complications caused by COPD will change the normal function and shape of the heart’s anatomy. The purpose of this study
was to determine whether there was relationship between the degree of severity of COPD and cardiac pathology abnormalities through echocardiography.
Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 88 COPD patients at outpatients cardiology clinic Haji Adam Malik General Hospital Medan from October 2018 to December 2018. COPD patients were grouped in 4 groups based on GOLD criteria from spirometry examination, then grouped into 2 large groups, group of patients with mild to moderate COPD (GOLD I - II) and patients with severe COPD (GOLD III - IV). Then all patients underwent echocardiography examination to determine changes in the heart.
Results: Pulmonary hypertension was found in 17% of cases. The most common heart pathology disorders were right ventricular hypertrophy (64.8%), left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (52.3%) and tricuspid regurgitation (35.2%). Echocardiographic abnormalities were most commonly found in groups with severe COPD (GOLD III – IV). The severity of COPD was associated with echocardiography abnormalities findings (p <0.05) except in left ventricular dysfunction (p 0.241).
Conclusion: Echocardiographic examination in COPD patients can identify cardiovascular complications in severe COPD patients (GOLD III and IV)