Pulmonary hemodynamic profile in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Abstract

Karina Portillo,1 Yolanda Torralba,1,2 Isabel Blanco,1,2 Felip Burgos,1,2 Roberto Rodriguez-Roisin,1,2 Jose Rios,3 Josep Roca,1,2 Joan A Barberà1,21Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Hospital Clínic-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi iSunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; 2Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Respiratorias (CIBERES), Madrid, Spain; 3Biostatistics and Data Management Core Facility, Hospital Clínic-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi iSunyer (IDIBAPS), Biostatistics Unit, School of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, SpainIntroduction: Few data are available in regards to the prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the broad spectrum of COPD. This study was aimed at assessing the prevalence of PH in a cohort of COPD patients across the severity of airflow limitation, and reporting the hemodynamic characteristics at rest and during exercise.Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis on COPD patients who underwent right-heart catheterization in our center with measurements obtained at rest (n=139) and during exercise (n=85). PH was defined as mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) ≥25 mmHg and pulmonary capillary wedge pressure <15 mmHg. Exercise-induced PH (EIPH) was defined by a ratio of ∆mPAP/∆cardiac output >3.Results: PH was present in 25 patients (18%). According to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification, PH prevalence in GOLD 2 was 7% (3 patients); 25% (14 patients) in GOLD 3; and 22% (8 patients) in GOLD 4. Severe PH (mPAP ≥35 mmHg) was identified in four patients (2.8%). Arterial partial oxygen pressure was the outcome most strongly associated with PH (r=-0.29, P<0.001). EIPH was observed in 60 patients (71%) and had a similar prevalence in both GOLD 2 and 3, and was present in all GOLD 4 patients. Patients with PH had lower cardiac index during exercise than patients without PH (5.0±1.2 versus 6.7±1.4 L/min/m2, respectively; P=0.001).Conclusion: PH has a similar prevalence in COPD patients with severe and very-severe airflow limitation, being associated with the presence of arterial hypoxemia. In contrast, EIPH is highly prevalent, even in moderate COPD, and might contribute to limiting exercise tolerance. Keywords: pulmonary hypertension, right heart catheterization, cardiac index, GOLD