COPD increases risk for sudden cardiac death

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is associated with increased risk for sudden cardiac death, especially in those with frequent exacerbations 5 years after diagnosis, according to new data from the Rotterdam study.

According to the study background, previous research identified a link between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and CVD, as well as a link between COPD and sudden cardiac death in specific patient groups, but the link between COPD and sudden cardiac death in the general population was unknown.

Researchers analyzed 13,471 participants from the Rotterdam study, a population-based cohort study of adults aged at least 45 years with up to 24 years of follow-up. They investigated whether COPD was associated with risk for sudden cardiac death after adjustment for age, sex and smoking. They also assessed the influence of COPD exacerbations, defining moderate exacerbations as needing steroids and/or antibiotics and severe exacerbations as needing hospitalization.

During the study period, there were 1,615 diagnoses of COPD and 551 cases of sudden cardiac death, according to the researchers.

They found that COPD was associated with increased risk for sudden cardiac death (HR = 1.34; 95% CI, 1.06-1.7).

They also found that the risk was even more elevated 2,000 days (5.48 years) after COPD diagnosis (HR = 2.12; 95% CI, 1.6-2.82) and in that period there was an even higher risk among people with frequent COPD exacerbations, defined as those who had an average of at least two COPD moderate or severe exacerbations per year of follow-up (HR = 3.58; 95% CI, 2.35-5.44).

Excluding adults with MI or HF did not change the results.

“The most important way to prevent COPD and [sudden cardiac death] is not to smoke and to have a healthy lifestyle,” Marieke Niemeijer, MD, a physician and PhD student in the department of epidemiology at Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, Netherlands, said in a press release. “If a person does develop COPD, then this is even more important, as smoking, an unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle have been proven to increase the risk [for sudden cardiac death.] Therefore, smoking cessation is not only important for the course of COPD but also for the development of heart problems and, subsequently, the occurrence of [sudden cardiac death].” – by Erik Swain

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.

Source: www.healio.com