Table 1.
Characteristics of the Study Subjects
| Non-Smoking Controls (n=27) | Smoking Controls (n=20) | COPD without PVD (n=46) | COPD with PVD (n=15) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 56 ± 8 | 54 ± 8 | 62 ± 7 ab | 64 ± 6 ab |
| Male gender, n (%) | 12 (44%) | 9 (45%) | 38 (83%) ab | 13 (87%) ab |
| Smoking status | ||||
| Current smokers, n (%) | 0 (0%) | 20 (100%) | 14 (30%) | 2 (13%) |
| Ex-smokers, n (%) | 9 (33%) | 0 (0%) | 32 (70%) | 13 (87%) |
| Pack-years smoking | 4 ± 8 | 30 ± 24 | 62 ± 29 ab | 69 ± 29 ab |
| GOLD stage 1-2-3-4, n | NA | NA | 3–16-13-14 | 0-1-5-9 |
| FEV1, % ref | 107 ± 12 | 103 ± 10 | 48 ± 20 ab | 30 ± 10 abc |
| FVC, % ref | 106 ± 11 | 104 ± 12 | 84 ± 19 ab | 65 ± 13 abc |
| FEV1/FVC, % | 79 ± 5 | 77 ± 5 | 43 ± 14 | 34 ± 9 |
| TLC, % ref | 106 ± 8 | 106 ± 9 | 116 ± 19 a | 113 ± 21 |
| RV, % ref | 108 ± 18 | 110 ± 23 | 181 ± 57 ab | 197 ± 62 ab |
| DLCO, % ref | 92 ± 15 | 85 ± 9 | 57 ± 20 ab | 39 ± 12 abc |
| PaO2, mmHg | NA | NA | 73 ± 9 | 63 ± 10c |
| Systemic arterial hypertension, n (%) | 5 (19%) | 3 (15%) | 21 (46%) ab | 10 (67%) abc |
| Dyslipidemia, n (%) | 7 (26%) | 7 (35%) | 14 (30%) | 6 (40%) |
| Diabetes mellitus, n (%) | 1 (4%) | 0 (0%) | 2 (4%) | 5 (33%) abc |
| Framingham score, points | 4.9 ± 5.1 | 7.00 ± 6.0 | 10.2 ± 5.8 a | 12.1 ± 6.8 ab |
| Systolic pulmonary artery pressure, mmHg | 27 ± 4 | 27 ± 3 | 31 ± 3 | 43 ± 10 abc |
| Mean pulmonary artery pressure, mmHg * | NA | NA | 21.2 ± 1.9 | 29.9 ± 5.9 abc |
| Cardiac index, L/min/m2 * | NA | NA | 2.24 ± 0.89 | 2.77 ± 0.47 abc |
| Pulmonary artery wedge pressure, mmHg * | NA | NA | 8.3 ± 3.1 | 9.30 ± 4.1 |
| Pulmonary vascular resistance, dyn·s·cm−5 * | NA | NA | 247 ± 40 | 328 ± 113 |
| Left ventricular ejection fraction, % | 64 ± 3 | 64 ± 3 | 62 ± 5 | 60 ± 6 |
| Systolic blood pressure, mmHg | 124 ± 18 | 123 ± 16 | 130 ± 20 | 135 ± 19 |
Notes: Results are expressed in mean±standard deviation. a p<0.05 compared with non-smokers; b p<0.05 compared with smokers; c p<0.05 compared with COPD without PVD; * Right heart catheterization was performed in 5 patients of the COPD without PVD group and in 10 patients of the COPD with PVD group.
Abbreviations: COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; PVD, pulmonary vascular disease; GOLD, Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; FEV1, forced expiratory volume in 1st second; FVC, forced vital capacity; TLC, total lung capacity; RV, residual volume; DLCO, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide; PaO2, partial pressure of arterial oxygen; NA, not available.