Echocardiographic Manifestations in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients with a History of Chronic Smoking: A Cross-sectional Study.

Authors

Anshul Kumar Mittal, Yogita Singh, Pavneet Kaur Soni, Santosh Mittal, Dheeraj Soni

Published in

The Journal of the Association of Physicians of India. Volume 74. Issue 9. Pages 63-66. Sep 01, 2026. Epub Sep 01, 2026.

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical profile and its association with spirometry and two-dimensional (2D) echocardiographic findings in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
A cross-sectional study was carried out at LLRM Medical College, Meerut, which included 144 COPD patients over 40 years of age, selected after informed consent and ethical approval. Patients with other respiratory or cardiac diseases, immunocompromised status, or poor echocardiographic imaging were excluded. Each participant underwent clinical evaluation, which included a history of respiratory symptoms and comorbidities, along with comprehensive investigations such as blood tests, spirometry, chest X-ray, sputum analysis, electrocardiography (ECG), arterial blood gases, and 2D echocardiography. Data analysis was conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
The data reveal that most COPD patients fall into Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage 3 (severe), with a significant number also in stage 2 (moderate), indicating a high prevalence of advanced disease. COPD predominantly affects individuals over 50, with peak occurrence in the 60-69 age-group. Disease duration increases with severity, ranging from 2.38 years in stage 1 to 16.74 years in stage 4, showing a clear link between duration and progression. ECG abnormalities such as P-pulmonale, right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH), arrhythmias, and low QRS voltage were more frequent in severe stages, especially stage 3, highlighting the cardiovascular burden in advanced COPD. Echocardiographic findings, including pulmonary hypertension, right atrial enlargement, right ventricular dysfunction, and tricuspid regurgitation, showed significant association with disease severity (p < 0.05).
This study demonstrates a strong link between COPD severity and cardiovascular complications, especially right heart involvement. Significant associations between GOLD stages and 2D echocardiographic findings highlight the importance of routine cardiac screening in COPD patients. Pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular dysfunction, and tricuspid regurgitation were the most common complications, underscoring the need for close monitoring and targeted treatment. Early intervention and integrated cardiac evaluation in COPD management can help prevent right heart failure and improve patient outcomes.

PMID:
42902645
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Oct 2026.

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