Abstract

Background

Male patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are at greater risk of cardiovascular (CV) events than females1.

Aortic stiffness is an independent predictor of adverse CV outcomes and elevated in COPD2. However, the influence of gender on aortic stiffness in COPD has not been established. We hypothesized that males with COPD would have greater aortic stiffness than females.

Methods

As part of the ARCADE study, we assessed 500 patients with COPD confirmed by spirometry and 150 comparators. Aortic pulse wave velocity (PWV) was evaluated using the sphygmoCor device. Other assessments included body composition, blood pressure, heart rate, number of exacerbations, smoking history and C-reactive protein and fibrinogen.

Results

Patients and comparators were similar in age, BMI and gender. Males with COPD (255) had greater aortic PWV mean (SD)10.2 (2.7) than females, 9.5 (2.4), p=0.003. However, they were similar in age, FEV1%, BMI, peripheral and central blood pressure indices, heart rate, number of exacerbations, smoking history and inflammatory biomarkers, p>0.05. The difference remained after controlling for age and peripheral mean arterial pressure (Adjusted R2=26%, F=6.15, p=0.014). The gender difference was not evident in the comparator group.

Conclusion

Males with COPD had greater aortic stiffness compared to the females, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. The increased aortic stiffness may explain the high incidence of fatal and non-fatal cardiac events in the male patients, which may offer a therapeutic target.

Details

Title
P4.3 Influence of Gender on Aortic Stiffness in COPD
Author
Albarrati, A. 1 ; Gale, N. 1 ; Munnery, I. 1 ; Munnery, M. 1 ; Saikia, S. 1 ; Enright, S. 1 ; Shale, D. 1 ; Cockcroft, J. 1 

 Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK (GRID:grid.5600.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 0807 5670) 
Pages
139-140
Publication year
2014
Publication date
Dec 2014
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
18729312
e-ISSN
18764401
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2931056490
Copyright
© Atlantis Press 2014. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.