Association of cardiovascular health with mortality among COPD patients: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III.

BACKGROUND: All-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality are higher among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We examined the association between American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 (LS7) metrics and all-cause as well as CVD mortality in patients with COPD. METHODS: We examined 1513 US adults with COPD aged ≥ 40, without prior CVD, from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. COPD was defined as FEV1/FVC<0.7 in absence of asthma. Adjusted Cox regression was used to assess the relation of LS7 metrics with all-cause and CVD mortality. RESULTS: Overall, only 74 participants (4.9%) had ideal 5-7 LS7 metrics. Over a mean follow-up of 14.2±7.9 years, 1162 individuals died, of which 315 were due to CVD. Age, sex, and ethnicity-adjusted HRs (95% CI) for all-cause mortality were 0.53 (0.41-0.68), 0.45 (0.34-0.59), 0.66 (0.49-0.87) and 0.75 (0.56-1.00) among those with ideal vs poor control of smoking, diet, physical activity and fasting blood glucose, respectively. However, the ideal and intermediate LS7 metrics were not significantly associated with lower risk of CVD mortality, except for a BMI between 25-29.9 kg/m2. Those with 5-7 vs 0-1 ideal metrics had adjusted HRs 0.50 (0.40-0.87) for all-cause and 0.53 (0.21-1.36) for CVD mortality. CONCLUSION: Ideal levels of multiple behavioral and health factors are associated with substantially lower risks for all-cause mortality, with a trend for lower CVD mortality among US adults with COPD.

Karma of Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors for Prevention and Management of Major Cardiovascular Events in the Context of Acute Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

There is compelling epidemiological evidence that airway exposure to cigarette smoke, air pollution particles, as well as bacterial and viral pathogens is strongly related to acute ischemic events. Over the years, there have been important animal and human studies that have provided experimental evidence to support a causal link. Studies show that patients with cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) or risk factors for CVD are more likely to have major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) after an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and patients with more severe COPD have higher cardiovascular mortality and morbidity than those with less severe COPD. The risk of MACEs in acute exacerbation of COPD is determined by the complex interactions between genetics, behavioral, metabolic, infectious, and environmental risk factors. To date, there are no guidelines regarding the prevention, screening, and management of the modifiable risk factors for MACEs in the context of COPD or COPD exacerbations, and there is insufficient CVD risk control in those with COPD. A deeper insight of the modifiable risk factors shared by CVD, COPD, and acute exacerbations of COPD may improve the strategies for reduction of MACEs in patients with COPD through vaccination, tight control of traditional CV risk factors and modifying lifestyle. This review summarizes the most recent studies regarding the pathophysiology and epidemiology of modifiable risk factors shared by CVD, COPD, and COPD exacerbations that could influence overall morbidity and mortality due to MACEs in patients with acute exacerbations of COPD.

Impact of lung-function measures on cardiovascular disease events in older adults with metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes (DM) are more likely to have decreased lung function and are at greater risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). HYPOTHESIS: Lung-function measures can predict CVD events in older persons with MetS, DM, and neither condition. METHODS: We followed 4114 participants age ≥ 65 years with and without MetS or DM in the Cardiovascular Health Study. Cox regression examined the association of forced vital capacity (FVC) and 1-second forced expiratory volume (FEV1 ; percent of predicted values) with incident coronary heart disease and CVD events over 12.9 years. RESULTS: DM was present in 537 (13.1%) and MetS in 1277 (31.0%) participants. Comparing fourth vs first quartiles for FVC, risk of CVD events was 16% (HR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.59-1.18), 23% (HR: 0.77, 95% CI: 0.60-0.99), and 30% (HR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.58-0.84) lower in DM, MetS, and neither disease groups, respectively. For FEV1 , CVD risk was lower by 2% (HR: 0.98, 95% CI: 0.70-1.37), 26% (HR: 0.74, 95% CI: 0.59-0.93), and 31% (HR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.57-0.82) in DM. Findings were strongest for predicting congestive heart failure (CHF) in all disease groups. C-statistics increased significantly with addition of FEV1 or FVC over risk factors for CVD and CHF among those with neither MetS nor DM. CONCLUSIONS: FEV1 and FVC are inversely related to CVD in older adults with and without MetS, but not DM (except for CHF); however, their value in incremental risk prediction beyond standard risk factors is limited mainly to metabolically healthier persons.

Association of lung function with coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease outcomes in elderly: the Rancho Bernardo study.

INTRODUCTION: Lung function is inversely associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). We evaluated the prospective association of reduced lung function by spirometry and CHD or CVD events in older community-dwelling adults. METHODS: We studied 1548 participants (mean age 73.6 ± 9.2 years, 42% males) from the Rancho Bernardo Study using age, sex, and risk-factor adjusted Cox regression to assess pulmonary function (FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC ratio) as a predictor of CHD and CVD events followed for up to 22 years. RESULTS: Of CVD risk factors, older age, male sex, current/past smoking, physical exercise (<3× a week), and prevalent CVD predicted an increased risk of CHD and CVD. Higher FEV1 and FVC were each associated with a decreased risk of CHD [HR 0.80 (0.73-0.88) for both FEV1 and FVC, per SD, p < 0.01] and CVD [HR 0.82 (0.74-0.91) for both FEV1 and FVC, per SD, p < 0.01]. Those in the lowest quartiles of FEV1 and FVC had hazard ratios of 1.68 (1.33-2.13) and 1.55 (1.21-2.00) respectively for CHD and 1.74 (1.34-2.25) and 1.49 (1.13-1.96) respectively for CVD (all p < 0.01, relative to those in the highest quartile). Similar findings were observed for CHD and CVD mortality. Sex- and age-stratified analyses showed the strongest associations for CHD and CVD events in women and in the oldest participants. CONCLUSIONS: FEV1 and FVC are inversely associated with risk of future CHD and CVD events in older community-dwelling adults and may add to CVD risk stratification in the elderly.

Does low vitamin D amplify the association of COPD with total and cardiovascular disease mortality?

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been shown to be associated with lower levels of vitamin D, and the latter has been associated with total and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that lower vitamin D levels will further enhance the association of COPD and its severity with total and CVD mortality. METHODS: We studied 7746 US adults age ≥40 years without known CVD (mean age, 59.8 years) and followed up through 2006 (8.2 ± 2.5 years) for total and CVD mortality. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were categorized as tertiles: first tertile, <50.9 nm/L; second tertile, 50.9 to 73.6 nm/L; and third tertile, >73.6 nm/L. Severity of COPD was classified on the basis of forced expiratory volume per second (FEV1 ): mild COPD (FEV1 ≥80%) and moderate or severe COPD (FEV1 <80%), and requires a FEV1 /forced vital capacity ratio <70%. With Cox regression, we examined the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for total and CVD mortality according to COPD/vitamin D category, using those with no COPD in the first tertile of vitamin D as the reference group. RESULTS: From Cox regression, unadjusted HRs increased successively with increasing COPD severity and decreasing vitamin D group to 4.5 (95% CI: 3.3-6.1) for total and 3.4 (95% CI: 2.2-5.3) for CVD mortality among those with moderate/severe COPD who were in the first tertile of vitamin D. After adjustment for age, sex, ethnicity, and other risk factors, these associations were attenuated but remained increased. CONCLUSIONS: Lower levels of vitamin D may be associated with further increases in total and CVD mortality associated with COPD; however, age and cardiovascular risk factors appear to explain much of this association.

Relation between COPD severity and global cardiovascular risk in US adults.

BACKGROUND: COPD is associated with the risk of cardiovascular events (CVEs), but its impact on overall mortality has not been well quantified. We determined the impact of global CVE risk assessment on CVE and total mortality in subjects with COPD. METHODS: We examined the severity of COPD in 6,266 US adult patients aged 40 years in relation to the estimated 10-year risk of CVEs. COPD was defi ned by spirometry, and severity was classified as mild (FEV1 ≥ 80%), moderate (50% ≤ FEV< 1 , 80%), or severe (FEV 1 , 50%). Cox proportional hazards regression was used to evaluate the relationship of global CVE risk combined with COPD status to CVE and all-cause mortality over a mean follow-up of 98.8 ± 51.3 months. RESULTS: The proportion of individuals at high risk for CVEs ranged from 25% (without COPD)to . 50% (with moderate to severe COPD) ( P , .05). When global CVE risk scores were low, CVE mortality was also low ( , 10/1,000 person-years) regardless of COPD severity, and CVE mortality was high when CVE global risk was high ( . 40/1,000 person-years). Global CVE risk improved prediction for both CVEs and total mortality in patients with COPD ( P , .0001), with a net reclassification improvement of 17.1% ( P , .0001) and 13.0% ( P , .0001), respectively, beyond lung function measures. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of global CVE risk scores to lung function data significantly improves risk stratification of patients with COPD for CVE and total mortality and, thus, adds to predicting long-term survival of these patients.

Association of adult-onset asthma with specific cardiovascular conditions.

BACKGROUND: While asthma is known to be associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD), the relation to specific manifestations of CVD has not been previously described. Our objective was to explore the relation of child and adult-onset asthma with specific CVD conditions. METHODS: We examined data from 16,943 (projected 178 million) U.S. adults aged 18-90 years old with relevant information on asthma and CVD. The study was a cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2006. We determined the prevalence of CVD risk factors and likelihood of CVD conditions according to gender and asthma status using multiple logistic regression adjusted for age, gender and other CVD risk factors. RESULTS: The proportions of subjects with child and adult-onset asthma were 4.8% (n=702) and 3.3% (n=534), respectively. Adult-onset asthma was significantly associated with total CVD (OR=2.07, CI=1.2-3.7), but child-onset asthma was not associated with any CVD conditions. Of the four specific CVD endpoints, adult-onset asthma overall was only associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) (OR=2.26, CI=1.2-4.2) in the total population. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that CHD is the major cardiovascular condition associated with asthma; a prospective study must be done to confirm a causal relationship.

Evidence of lung function for stratification of cardiovascular disease risk.

Among adults in the United States, the prevalence of reduced lung function including obstructive and restrictive lung disease is about 20%, representing an over 40 million adults. Persons with reduced lung function often demonstrate chronic systemic inflammation, such as from elevated levels of C-reactive protein. Substantial data suggests that inflammation may have a significant role in the association between reduced lung function and cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, how reduced lung function predicts CVD as risk modification remains largely unknown. Poor lung function has been shown to be a better predictor of all-cause and cardiac-specific mortality than established risk factors such as serum cholesterol, and CVD is the leading cause of mortality among those with impaired lung function. The exact mechanism of atherosclerosis is not clear, but persistent low grade inflammation is considered as one of the culprits in clot formation. The initial presentation of coronary heart disease is either myocardial infarction or sudden death in approximately half of the individuals. Unfortunately, conventional risk factor assessment predicts only 65-80% of future cardiovascular events, leaving many middle-aged and older individuals to manifest a major cardiovascular event despite being classified low risk by the Framingham risk estimates.

Association of FVC and total mortality in US adults with metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Reduced pulmonary function is an independent predictor of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes mellitus (DM), conditions associated with increased mortality. We investigated whether reduced pulmonary function is associated with increased mortality in persons with these conditions. METHODS: We examined 5,633 (projected, 62.4 million) US adults (age range, 18 to 79 years) in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, who were never-smokers and were without known cardiovascular or obstructive lung disease. Cox regression (adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity) was used to examine all-cause mortality risk across FVC categories (FVC: low, or= 95% predicted) among those with MetS, DM, or neither disease. RESULTS: The prevalence of DM and MetS significantly increased as predicted FVC decreased (p < 0.01). Age- and sex-adjusted mortality rates (per 1,000 person-years) increased in a stepwise manner as predicted FVC decreased in those patients with neither MetS nor DM (3.5 to 8.0), MetS (4.1 to 8.1), and DM (9.9 to 13.3). Compared to those with high FVC, those with low FVC had more than a fourfold increase in mortality among those with MetS (hazard ratio [HR], 4.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.59 to 11.45; p < 0.01) and more than a twofold increase among those with neither disease (HR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.06 to 5.43; p < 0.05). Also, every 10% reduction in FVC was associated with a 77% higher mortality (HR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.37; p < 0.05) among persons with MetS. However, in those with DM, FVC did not contribute further to mortality risk. CONCLUSION: In persons with MetS, a reduced FVC is associated with further increases in mortality, suggesting that the evaluation of lung function may be useful for risk stratification in those with MetS.

Association of C-reactive protein with reduced forced vital capacity in a nonsmoking U.S. population with metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: A relationship between inflammation, measured by C-reactive protein (CRP), and forced vital capacity (FVC) in diabetes or metabolic syndrome (MetS) has not been established. We investigated whether high CRP is related to reduced FVC in MetS and diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: We examined the association of MetS/diabetes and CRP (normal 3 mg/l) with predicted FVC in 4,272 nonsmoking U.S. adults aged 18-79 years without lung disease in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Logistic regression examined odds of FVC <80% by CRP and MetS/diabetes. RESULTS: Mean FVC in individuals with MetS and high CRP (95.7%) and those with diabetes and high CRP (93.7%) was lower than in those with no MetS/diabetes and normal CRP (101.7%) (P < 0.01) and was lower in those with MetS and high CRP (95.7%) than in those with MetS and normal CRP (98.5%) (P < 0.01). The odds ratio (95% CI) of FVC <80% was highest in individuals with MetS and high CRP (odds ratio 4.26 [95% CI 2.08-8.73], P < 0.01) compared with those with no MetS/diabetes and normal CRP. CONCLUSIONS: Elevated CRP is associated with lower FVC in people with MetS.