BACKGROUND: The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sudden cardiac death has not been fully elucidated. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can explain the increased rate of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in COPD. METHODS: This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients who underwent pulmonary function testing (PFT), Holter monitoring, and transthoracic echocardiography. COPD was correlated with the frequency of VT in a multivariate analysis that adjusted for known confounders including LVEF. Long-term all-cause mortality of patients with COPD and VT was examined. RESULTS: Of the 6351 patients included in this study (age 66 ± 15 years; 48% woman; 92% Caucasian, LVEF 59% ± 12%), 2800 (44%) had PFT indicative of COPD. VT was nearly twice as likely to occur during Holter monitoring in COPD patients (13% vs 23%; P <.001), and the severity of COPD correlated with the risk of VT (21% vs 28% vs 37% for mild-moderate, severe, and very severe COPD; P <.001). COPD and VT remained independently associated (P <.001) even after adjusting for LVEF, demographics, and comorbidities (age, sex, body mass index, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, coronary artery disease, cancer history, diabetes mellitus). COPD was associated with all-cause mortality independently of LVEF (P <.001). CONCLUSION: COPD patients are at higher risk for VT and mortality. This may not be fully attributed to the confounding effect of systolic heart failure measured by LVEF. Further studies are needed to explore the mechanistic interactions between VT and COPD in order to determine whether antiarrhythmic strategies would apply especially to patients with severe COPD.

• MeSH
• chronická obstrukční plicní nemoc komplikace   epidemiologie   MeSH
• echokardiografie MeSH
• elektrokardiografie ambulantní MeSH
• funkce levé komory srdeční fyziologie   MeSH
• hodnocení rizik metody   MeSH
• komorová tachykardie epidemiologie   etiologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• následné studie MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• rizikové faktory MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• srdeční komory diagnostické zobrazování   patofyziologie   MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• multicentrická studie MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Minnesota MeSH

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, yet the exact pathophysiological links remain unclear. Whether the presence and severity of COPD are associated with atrial or ventricular arrhythmias recorded on continuous electrocardiographic monitoring is unknown. We identified consecutive adult patients who underwent clinically indicated pulmonary function testing as well as 24-hour Holter monitoring at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, from 2000 to 2009. Demographic data and relevant co-morbidities were gathered from the electronic medical record; severity of COPD was classified according to the GOLD classification, and arrhythmias were classified in concordance with the current clinical guidelines. From 7,441 patients who were included (age 64±16 years, 49% woman, 92% Caucasian), COPD was diagnosed in 3,121 (41.9%). Compared with those without COPD, the presence and severity of COPD were associated with increased likelihood of atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter (AF/AFL; 23.3% vs 11.0%, respectively, p<0.0001), nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (NSVT; 13.0% vs 5.9%, respectively, p<0.0001), and sustained ventricular tachycardia (0.9% vs 1.6%, respectively, p<0.0001). COPD remained a significant predictor of AF/AFL and NSVT (p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively) after adjusting for age, gender, tobacco use, obesity, hypertension, coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes, anemia, cancer, chronic kidney disease, and rate/rhythm control medications. In conclusion, the independent association between the presence and severity of COPD and arrhythmias (AF/AFL and NSVT) provides further insight into the markedly increased cardiovascular mortality of patients with COPD. Further studies should explore which anti-arrhythmic strategies would best apply to the patients with COPD.

• MeSH
• chronická obstrukční plicní nemoc komplikace   epidemiologie   MeSH
• elektrokardiografie ambulantní MeSH
• fibrilace síní epidemiologie   etiologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• incidence MeSH
• komorová tachykardie epidemiologie   etiologie   patofyziologie   MeSH
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• míra přežití trendy   MeSH
• následné studie MeSH
• pletysmografie MeSH
• retrospektivní studie MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé středního věku MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Minnesota MeSH

• MeSH
• plicní nemoci MeSH

• Konspekt
• Patologie. Klinická medicína
• NLK Obory
• pneumologie a ftizeologie