title: Relationship between FEV1and arterial stiffness in elderly people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is highly prevalent in the elderly, and both COPD and age per se are associated with cardiovascular morbidity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We tested the hypothesis that in elderly COPD patients airflow limitation is associated with arterial stiffness and the relationship, if any, is related to endothelial function and systemic inflammation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated lung function, augmentation index (AIx), flow-mediated dilation (FMD), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and asymmetric dymethilarginine (ADMA) levels in 76 subjects (mean age 73.9 years, SD 6.2) attending a geriatric outpatient clinic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants with COPD (N = 41) and controls (N = 35) did not differ in terms of AIx (30 vs 28.2 %, P = 0.30) and FMD (14.2 vs 12.3 %, P = 0.10). Similarly, the two groups did not differ with respect to mean concentrations of inflammation markers (IL-6 and C-reactive protein) and ADMA. Among COPD participants there was an inverse correlation between AIx and Forced Expiratory Volume in the first second (r = -0.349, P = 0.02). This relationship remained significant after correction for potential confounders, including markers of inflammation and ADMA levels (β = -0.194, P = 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the results of this study, among COPD patients, bronchial patency and AIx are inversely related, and the relationship is explained neither by endothelial function nor by systemic inflammation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In elderly COPD people, increased arterial stiffness is related to reduced pulmonary function and it seems worth testing as a potential marker of higher cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: Area di Geriatria, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy. l.costanzo@unicampus.it.
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Costanzo
authors.affiliation: Area di Geriatria, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.|Fondazione Alberto Sordi, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pedone
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio di Patologia Clinica e Microbiologia, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battistoni
authors.affiliation: Area di Geriatria, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenica
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chiurco
authors.affiliation: Area di Geriatria, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Santangelo
authors.affiliation: Area di Geriatria, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Via Álvaro del Portillo 200, 00128, Rome, Italy.|Fondazione S. Raffaele-Cittadella della Carità, Piazzale Mons, Guglielmo Motolese, 1, 74123, Taranto, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Antonelli-Incalzi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D059289:Vascular Stiffness
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D015850:Interleukin-6; C018524:N,N-dimethylarginine; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D001120:Arginine
keywords: Aged; Arterial stiffness; Augmentation Index; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Pulmonary function tests