Ischemic heart disease among subjects with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ECG-findings in a population-based cohort study

• Background: Cardiovascular comorbidity in COPD is common and contributes to increased mortality. A few population-based studies indicate that ischemic electrocardiogram (ECG)-changes are more prevalent in COPD, while others do not. The aim of the present study was to estimate the presence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) in a population-based COPD-cohort in comparison with subjects without COPD. Methods: All subjects with obstructive lung function (COPD, n = 993) were identified together with age- and sex-matched controls (non-COPD, n = 993) from population-based cohorts examined in 2002–04. In 2005, data from structured interview, spirometry and ECG were collected from 1625 subjects. COPD was classified into GOLD 1–4 after post-bronchodilator spirometry. Ischemic ECG-changes, based on Minnesota-coding, were classified according to the Whitehall criteria into probable and possible IHD. Results: Self-reported IHD was equally common in COPD and non-COPD, and so were probable and possible ischemic ECG-changes according to Whitehall. After excluding subjects with restrictive spirometric pattern from the non-COPD-group, similar comparison with regard to presence of IHD performed between those with COPD and those with normal lung-function did neither show any differences. There was a significant association between self-reported IHD (p = 0.007) as well as probable ischemic ECG-changes (p = 0.042), and increasing GOLD stage. In COPD there was a significant association between level of FEV1 percent of predicted and self-reported as well as probable ischemic ECG-changes, and this association persisted for self-reported IHD also after adjustment for sex and age. Conclusion: In this population-based study, self-reported IHD and probable ischemic ECG-changes were associated with COPD disease severity assessed by spirometry.

Ämnesord

Medical and Health Sciences  (hsv)

Clinical Medicine  (hsv)

Cardiac and Cardiovascular Systems  (hsv)

Medicin och hälsovetenskap  (hsv)

Klinisk medicin  (hsv)

Kardiologi  (hsv)

kardiologi  (umu)

Cardiology  (umu)

Nyckelord

Comorbidity

Epidemiology

Coronary disease

Respiratory diseases