Ischemic heart disease among subjects with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – ECG-findings in a population-based cohort study. Issue 1 (December 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Nilsson, Ulf; Johansson, Bengt; Eriksson, Berne; Blomberg, Anders; Lundbäck, Bo; Lindberg, Anne
• Is Part Of: BMC pulmonary medicine. Volume 15:Issue 1(2015)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 9
• Publication Date: 2015-12
• Subjects: Comorbidity -- Epidemiology -- Coronary disease -- Respiratory diseases; Lungs -- Diseases -- Periodicals; 616.24005
• DOI: 10.1186/s12890-015-0149-1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1471-2466

Abstract

Abstract 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.