title: Identification of electrocardiographic values that indicate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between respiratory function and electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to identify the ECG results that indicate possible COPD.
  
  
  
  The association between respiratory function and ECG results was retrospectively analyzed in 45 patients with COPD and 100 patients without COPD (controls).
  
  
  
  Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that QRS amplitude in lead І was a significant predictor of COPD (partial regression coefficient = -4.208, p = 0.002). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a QRS amplitude less than 0.54 mV in lead І indicated possible COPD (sensitivity: 71%, specificity: 76%, area under the curve: 0.78 [95% confidence interval: 0.69-0.86], p < 0.001).
  
  
  
  Low voltage in lead І (QRS less than 0.54 mV) is an important criterion in detecting COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan. Electronic address: matsumur@kochi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Yoshihisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Respiratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.affiliation: Center of Medical Information Science, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.affiliation: Clinical Laboratory, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Respiratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Akihito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yokoyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiura
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012372:ROC Curve; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Electrocardiogram; Low voltage; QRS amplitude; Respiratory function test