Cross-sectional study of pulmonary hypertension among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

The prevalence graph of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in India is escalating significantly. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of the most important complications of COPD, leading to worsened clinical progression. Various studies have predicted the correlation of PH with the degree of airflow obstruction in COPD, but the association between PH and the ABCD stage of COPD, as per the recent Global Initiative for Chronic Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria, is still ambiguous and underexplored. Thus, we aim to correlate the association of PH with the updated staging of COPD. This prospective study followed 100 COPD patients diagnosed based on spirometry and clinical symptoms over a 1-year period. The severity and staging of COPD were determined according to GOLD classification criteria. Screening two-dimensional echocardiography was performed to assess PH. The association between PH and COPD staging was analyzed. Among the 100 subjects with COPD, the mean age was 60.6±7.8 years, and 70% were male. Based on disease staging, 23 patients (23%) were classified as stage A, 25 (25%) as stage B, 13 (13%) as stage C, and 39 (39%) as stage D. PH was present in 72 patients: 25 (25%) had mild PH, 26 (26%) had moderate PH, and 21 (21%) had severe PH. A significant association was observed between the stages of COPD and the severity of PH. PH is a major complication in COPD, leading to poor prognosis. Therefore, incorporating early cardiac screening in all COPD patients may assist in assessing prognosis, morbidity, and mortality.