Using Mathematical and Statistical Analysis to Investigate the Correlation between Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Risk of Subclinical Atherosclerosis

Abstract

Purpose: As the number of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease continues to increase, it is increasingly important to understand the impact of cardiovascular risk on the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which can provide guidance for clinical medication and recommendations for patient care and rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cardiovascular risk and the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: Selected COPD patients admitted to hospital from June 2018 to July 2020 were included in the study for prospective analysis, and patients who showed more than two instances of moderate deterioration or severe deterioration within one year before the consultation were defined as COPD patients, and all participants underwent relevant tests and assessments. Results: Multivariate correction analysis showed that a worsening phenotype improved the risk of carotid artery intima-media thickness exceeding 75% by nearly three times, and it had no relation with the degree of COPD severity and global cardiovascular risk; in addition, the relationship between a worsening phenotype and high carotid intima-media thickness (c-IMT) was more pronounced in patients under 65 years of age. Conclusions: The existence of subclinical atherosclerosis is individually related to the worsening phenotype, and the difference is more obvious in young patients. Therefore, the control of vascular risk factors in these patients should be strengthened.

Keywords

• carotid artery intima-media thickness
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• cardiovascular risk
• ankle-brachial index
• atherosclerosis