title: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiac comorbidities: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a global health issue with cigarette smoking being an important risk factor. COPD affects pulmonary blood vessels, right ventricle, as well as left ventricle leading to the development of pulmonary hypertension (PH), cor-pulmonale (COR-P), right and left ventricular dysfunction. Echocardiography provides a rapid, noninvasive, portable, and accurate method to evaluate cardiac functions. Early diagnoses and intervention for cardiac comorbidities would reduce mortalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study. Total 50 patients of moderate to severe COPD according to GOLD guidelines were taken from Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara. All patients underwent investigations such as chest X-ray PA view, ECG, and spirometry followed by two-dimensional echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We investigated 49 males and 1 female patients ranging from 35 to 80 years of age. Twenty-nine individuals were of moderate COPD and twenty-one of severe COPD. Of these cases 29 had left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) changes, 24 were diagnosed with PH and 16 had changes of COR-P. The study showed the linear relation between the severity of LVDD, PH, and COR-P with the severity of COPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study put emphasis on early cardiac screening of all COPD patients which will be helpful in the assessment of the prognosis and will further assist in identifying the individuals likely to suffer increase morbidity and mortality.
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
authors: Mohit
authors: M
authors: Kaushal
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
authors: Parth S
authors: PS
authors: Shah
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
authors: Arti D
authors: AD
authors: Shah
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
authors: Stani A
authors: SA
authors: Francis
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
authors: Nihar V
authors: NV
authors: Patel
authors: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Smt. B. K. Shah Medical Institute and Research Centre, Vadodara, Gujarat, India.
authors: Kavit K
authors: KK
authors: Kothari
keywords: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; cor-pulmonale; echocardiography; left ventricular diastolic dysfunction