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COPD significantly increases cerebral and cardiovascular events in hypertensives
Maria Perticone1, Raffaele Maio2, Benedetto Caroleo2
1Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University Magna Græcia, Viale Europa-Loc. Germaneto, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
Insights
Essential hypertension patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) face significantly higher cardiovascular risks. This study found COPD dramatically increases the likelihood of stroke and myocardial infarction in hypertensive individuals.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pulmonology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Essential hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) frequently occur together.
- Understanding the combined impact on cardiovascular health is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if COPD exacerbates cardiovascular event risk in patients with hypertension.
- To quantify the impact of coexisting COPD on cardiovascular outcomes in hypertensive individuals.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1728 hypertensive patients was enrolled.
- Outcomes included fatal/non-fatal stroke, myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death over a mean 57-month follow-up.
- Patients were stratified based on the presence or absence of COPD.
Main Results:
- A total of 205 major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) were recorded.
- Hypertensives with COPD experienced significantly more cardiovascular events (5.55 per 100 pts/yr) versus those without (1.22 per 100 pts/yr).
- COPD presence increased stroke incidence over ninefold and myocardial infarction incidence nearly threefold.
Conclusions:
- Coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease substantially elevates the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including stroke and myocardial infarction, in patients with essential hypertension.
- This highlights the importance of managing COPD in hypertensive patients to mitigate cardiovascular risk.
Abstract:
Essential hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease often coexist in the same patient. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the addition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease modifies the risk of cardiovascular events in hypertensives. We enrolled 1728 hypertensives. Study outcomes included fatal and non-fatal cardiovascular stroke and myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death. During a mean follow-up of 57 months there were 205 major adverse cardiovascular events (2.47 per 100 pts/yr): cardiac (n117; 1.41 per 100 pts/yr) and cerebrovascular (n = 77; 0.93 per 100 pts/yr). In hypertensives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease we observed a greater number of cardiovascular events than in hypertensives without respiratory disease (133 [5.55 per 100 pts/yr) vs 72 [1.22 per 100 pts/yr], respectively. The addition of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to hypertension increased the incidence of total and non-fatal stroke of more than nine- (2.42 vs 0.32 per 100 pts/yr) and 11-fold (2.09 vs 0.22 per 100 pts/yr), respectively. The same trend was observed for total (2.88 vs 0.81 per 100 pts/yr) and non-fatal (2.67 vs 0.79 per 100 pts/y) myocardial infarction. The presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in hypertensives significantly increases the risk of stroke, myocardial infarction and major adverse cardiovascular events.
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