[Central arterial pressure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]

To study central (aortic) arterial pressure (CAP) and aortic stiffness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) of different severity.

Non-invasive arteriography with Tensio Climo TL1 arteriograph (TensioMed, Hungary) was made to measure aortic stiffness and systolic pressure (SAP) in 54 COPD patients and 25 healthy controls. The difference between the central and peripheral SAP (delta SAP) and central/ peripheral pressure correspondence index (CI) were estimated.

Indirect arteriography has found that patients with moderate and severe COPD have stable elevated central SAP which is close to brachial SAP while in healthy controls the difference between central and peripheral SAP is 10.2 +/- 2.1 mmHg. With progression of COPD severity, deltaSAP diminishes while CI rises showing growing disproportion between central and peripheral blood pressure. In severe COPD physiological difference between them disappears. In COPD increased CAP is associated with impaired mechanical properties of the arterial bed and myocardial contractility proved by significant links between CAP and left ventricular ejection fraction index and key parameters of arterial stiffness.

Aortic CAP, delta SAP and CI are additional informative criteria of COPD severity and high cardiovascular risk as shown by their close correlation with hypoxemia, severity and duration of the disease.