The prognostic influence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in patients hospitalised for chronic heart failure.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and the prognostic impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), in patients hospitalised with chronic heart failure (CHF).


RESULTS
In an observational study based on longitudinal information from administrative registers, 1020 patients aged >or=60 years, who were chronically treated for and hospitalised with CHF were identified and followed-up for major events up to 1 year. Median age was 80 years, half of the patients were female and 241 patients (23.6%) had concomitant COPD. There were no differences in the prevalence of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular comorbidities between CHF patients with or without COPD. However, COPD patients were more often male (60.6% vs. 46.3%), more frequently treated with diuretics (95.9% vs. 91.5%) but less often exposed to beta-blockers (16.2% vs. 22.0%). Significantly higher adjusted in-hospital (HR 1.50 [95%CI 1.00-2.26]) and out-of-hospital (1.42 [1.09-1.86]) mortality rates were found in CHF patients with concomitant COPD. A higher occurrence of non-fatal AMI/stroke/rehospitalisation for CHF (1.26 [1.01-1.58]) as well as hospitalisation for CHF (1.35 [1.00-1.82]) was associated with COPD.


CONCLUSIONS
COPD is a frequent concomitant disease in patients with heart failure and it is an independent short-term prognostic indicator of mortality and cardiovascular comorbidity in patients who have been admitted to hospital for heart failure.
Macchia
Alejandro
A
Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Epidemiology, Consorzio Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria Imbaro, Chieti, Italy. macchia@negrisud.it
Monte
Simona
S
Romero
Marilena
M
D'Ettorre
Antonio
A
Tognoni
Gianni
G
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries