Red Blood Cell Distribution Width in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Healthy Subjects.
BACKGROUND
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is accepted as a powerful predictor of outcomes in patients with CVD.


OBJECTIVE
To study RDW in patients with COPD, and to compare the value of this measurement with clinical, echocardiographic, nutritional and laboratory status. Secondly, we aimed to determine the effect of smoking on RDW values in healthy subjects.


METHODS
One hundred and seventy-five patients with stable COPD and 210 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Demographic, clinical, nutritional status, echocardiographic, and laboratory characteristics, RDW values were recorded and compared.


RESULTS
RDW values were higher in the COPD group than in controls (15±2.3% vs. 13.8±2.5%, p<0.001). In COPD patients, RDW levels positively correlated with CRP levels (r=0.27, P<.001), albumin levels (r=0.23, P=.04), right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) (r=0.24, P=.001), pulmonary hypertension (PAH) (r=0.1, P=.02), and presence of CVD (r=0.24, P=.02). In multivariable logistic regression suggested that presence of CVD (4.3; 95% CI: 1.3 to 11; P=.01), and presence of RVD (3.1; 95% CI: 1.7 to 8.3; P=.02) were independently related to elevated RDW levels in COPD patients. In the healthy population, correlations analysis showed only a significant correlation between RDW and cigarette smoking years (r=0.57, P<.001).


CONCLUSIONS
RDW is independently associated with CVD and RVD in patients with COPD. In the healthy population, RDW is also associated with smoking status.
Bağcılar Teaching Hospital, Estambul, Turquía.
Guler
G
Ozgul
Chest Diseases, Medical Faculty, Medipol University, Estambul, Turquía. Electronic address: drekremcs@gmail.com.
Ekrem Cengiz
EC
Seyhan
Yedikule Teaching Hospital for Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery, Estambul, Turquía.
Mehmet Akif
MA
Özgül
Chest Diseases, Medical Faculty, Medipol University, Estambul, Turquía.
Mehmet Zeki
MZ
Günlüoğlu
D004909:Erythrocyte Indices; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis; D012907:Smoking / Q000097:blood
Amplitud de distribución eritrocitaria; Cardiovascular disease; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Enfermedad cardiovascular; Enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica; Inflammation marker; Marcador de inflamación; Red blood cell distribution width