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Evaluation of Right Ventricular Function in Experimental Models of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension
Published on: June 27, 2025
Relationship between red cell distribution width and right ventricular dysfunction in patients with chronic
Isa Sincer1, Ali Zorlu, Mehmet Birhan Yilmaz
1Department of Cardiology, Gaziantep State Hospital, Gaziantep, Turkey. isasincer@yahoo.com
Heart & Lung : the Journal of Critical Care
|October 15, 2011
Summary
Red cell distribution width (RDW) may help identify right ventricular (RV) failure in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients. Higher RDW levels in COPD patients indicate a higher likelihood of RV failure.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Hematology
Background:
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive condition impacting survival.
- Right ventricular (RV) failure exacerbates COPD prognosis.
- Red cell distribution width (RDW) predicts outcomes in left heart failure.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate RDW as an early marker for RV failure in COPD patients.
- To assess the correlation between RDW and RV function in COPD.
Main Methods:
- 39 COPD patients and 39 age/sex-matched controls were enrolled.
- Red cell distribution width (RDW) was measured before transthoracic echocardiography.
- RV parameters were assessed using echocardiography, identifying RV failure via specific motion and velocity metrics.
Main Results:
- COPD patients exhibited significantly higher RDW levels than controls (P < .001).
- Elevated RDW independently predicted RV failure in COPD patients (OR, 2.098; P = .017).
- RDW predicted RV failure with 70% sensitivity and 93.1% specificity at a cutoff of >17.7.
Conclusions:
- Red cell distribution width (RDW) shows potential as a biomarker for RV failure in COPD.
- RDW can aid in the early identification of RV dysfunction in COPD patients.
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