[Evaluation of carotis intima media thickness in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and atherosclerosis may occur due to similar risk factors and have a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. In this study to assess the relationship between COPD and atherosclerosis; carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) of COPD patients and adult healthy individuals with normal body mass index and metabolic parameters compared.

2298 participants aged between 18-92; 46 patients diagnosed with COPD according to clinical features and pulmonary function tests the study, 47 healthy controls who do not have exclusion criteria were evaluated. Doppler ultrasound was performed for the assessment of CIMT to all participants. p values < 0.05 were considered to be significant.

Mean CIMT in COPD group and control group were 0.79 ± 0.16 mm and 0.616 ± 0.1 mm, respectively (p< 0.001). In multiple linear regression analysis that made to determine the atherosclerotic risk parameters affecting CIMT; it was found that CIMT was related to age with direct proportion (p= 0.002) and to FEV(1)% with inversely proportion (p= 0.04). In multivariate logistic regression analysis that made to determine the parameters affecting atherosclerosis; we found that any parameters were related with atherosclerosis.

Persistent low-grade systemic inflammation in COPD and atherosclerotic disease may possibly have been reported a factor in both pathologies. Early atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risks in adults with COPD increase independent of risk factors. CIMT which shows direct proportion with age and inverse proportion with FEV(1)% is a non-invasive, easily applicable and cheap method that can be used in determining the risk of atherosclerosis.