ABSTRACT
AIM: To study left ventricular structural and functional changes in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic cor pulmonale (CCP) at different stages of a cardiac remodeling process. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Echocardiography was used to examine 98 patients with COPD complicated by the development of CCP in a number of cases. The significant signs of CCP were absent in 19 patients; the signs of compensated and decompensated CCP in 41 and 38 patients, respectively. RESULTS: In the patients with COPD, the formation of CCP during remodeling of the heart involves its left cavities whose changes lie in the occurrence of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction, mainly of the restrictive type, in ventricular spherization, higher myocardial systolic tension, in tendencies towards increases in LV mass index, left atrial sizes, and in the indices reflecting LV systolic dysfunction. The LV diastolic dysfunction correlates with the degree of right ventricular hypertrophy and dilatation and the presence of complete right bundle-branch block. CONCLUSION: Progressive worsening of diagnostic filling of the left ventricle and its systolic function is an additional factor aggravating hemodynamic disorders in patients with COPD and CCP, which should be kept in mind on choosing an appropriate therapy for patients with CCP.
