COPD is associated with increased cardiovascular disease risk independent of phenotype

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of death worldwide that frequently presents with concomitant cardiovascular diseases. Despite the pathological distinction between individual COPD phenotypes such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of COPD phenotype on cardiovascular disease risk. Thus, this study aimed to utilize a nationally representative sample to investigate cardiovascular disease prevalence in patients with COPD with emphysema and chronic bronchitis phenotypes.

Data from 31,560 adults including 2504 individuals with COPD, collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999-2018), were examined.

A significantly increased cardiovascular disease risk, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction and stroke, was identified in patients with COPD among all disease phenotypes. Particularly, compared to those without COPD, individuals with chronic bronchitis presented with 1.76 (95% CI: 1.41-2.20) times greater odds, individuals with emphysema with 2.31 (95% CI: 1.80-2.96) times greater odds, while those with a concurrent phenotype (combined chronic bronchitis and emphysema) exhibited 2.98 (95% CI: 2.11-4.21) times greater odds of reporting cardiovascular diseases.

Our data confirms that patients with COPD present an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease among all phenotypes, with the most marked increase being in those with concurrent chronic bronchitis and emphysema phenotypes. These findings emphasize the need for awareness and appropriate cardiovascular screening in COPD.