COPD and heart failure: differential diagnosis and comorbidity

Effect of dapagliflozin on uric acid in patients with chronic heart failure and hyperuricemia

BACKGROUND

Patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) frequently develop hyperuricemia, an elevated serum uric acid level, associated with adverse outcomes. Dapagliflozin, a sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitor, demonstrates reduction in cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization in patients with CHF and ejection fraction (HFrEF), irrespective of diabetes. However, dapagliflozin’s effect on the uric acid levels in patients with CHF and hyperuricemia remain unclear.

AIM

To investigate the effects of dapagliflozin on uric acid levels in CHF patients with hyperuricemia.

METHODS

We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 200 patients with CHF and hyperuricemia, with HFrEF and serum uric acid levels ≥ 7 mg/dL (≥ 416 μmol/L). The participants were randomly assigned to receive a daily dose of 10 mg dapagliflozin or placebo for 24 months. The primary endpoint was the change in serum uric acid level from baseline to 24 months. Secondary endpoints included changes in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and quality of life (QoL) scores, as well as the incidence of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure.

RESULTS

At 24 months, dapagliflozin significantly reduced serum uric acid levels by 1.2 mg/dL (71 μmol/L) compared with placebo (95%CI: -1.5 to -0.9; P < 0.001). Dapagliflozin also significantly improved LVEF by 3.5% (95%CI: 2.1-4.9; P < 0.001), NT-proBNP by 25% (95%CI: 18-32; P < 0.001), and QoL scores by 10 points (95%CI: 7-13; P < 0.001) and reduced the risk of cardiovascular death and hospitalization for heart failure by 35% (95%CI: 15–50; P = 0.002) compared with the placebo. Adverse events were similar between the two groups, except for a higher rate of genital infections in the dapagliflozin group (10% vs 2%, P = 0.01).

CONCLUSION

Dapagliflozin significantly lowered serum uric acid levels and improved the clinical outcomes in patients with CHF and hyperuricemia. Therefore, dapagliflozin may be a useful therapeutic option for this high-risk population.

Association Between COPD and Hearing Loss

OBJECTIVE

The goal of the present study was to estimate the risk of hearing impairment in patients with COPD using huge nationwide population.

METHODS

A retrospective case-control study was performed using the National Health Insurance Database in South Korea from 2002 through 2019. Totally 614,370 COPD patients and matched 2,170,504 control participants were selected at a 1:4 ratio. Hearing impairment was defined based on the registered data in the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Korea with six levels of severity of hearing impairment. The propensity score was calculated, and overlap-weighted multinomial logistic regression was used to calculate the odds ratios of COPD for hearing impairment.

RESULTS

A total of 2.67% of COPD patients and 1.9% of control participants had hearing impairment. The COPD patients indicated 1.10-1.21 times higher odds for hearing impairment according to the severity of hearing impairment than the control group. In accordance with age and sex, the younger age group (<65 years old) and female group demonstrated higher odds for hearing impairment related to the presence of COPD. The high odds for hearing impairment in patients with COPD was consistent in all other subgroups, except for the underweight group.

CONCLUSIONS

COPD was associated with an increased risk of hearing impairment in the general population in Korea.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

3 Laryngoscope, 2024.

HAPLN1 knockdown inhibits heart failure development via activating the PKA signaling pathway

BACKGROUND

Heart failure (HF) is a heterogeneous syndrome that affects millions worldwide, resulting in substantial health and economic burdens. However, the molecular mechanism of HF pathogenesis remains unclear.

METHODS

HF-related key genes were screened by a bioinformatics approach.The impacts of HAPLN1 knockdown on Angiotensin II (Ang II)-induced AC16 cells were assessed through a series of cell function experiments. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure levels of oxidative stress and apoptosis-related factors. The HF rat model was induced by subcutaneous injection isoprenaline and histopathologic changes in the cardiac tissue were assessed by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining and echocardiographic index. Downstream pathways regulated by HAPLN1 was predicted through bioinformatics and then confirmed in vivo and in vitro by western blot.

RESULTS

Six hub genes were screened, of which HAPLN1, FMOD, NPPB, NPPA, and COMP were overexpressed, whereas NPPC was downregulated in HF. Further research found that silencing HAPLN1 promoted cell viability and reduced apoptosis in Ang II-induced AC16 cells. HAPLN1 knockdown promoted left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left ventricular fraction shortening (LVFS), while decreasing left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) in the HF rat model. HAPLN1 knockdown promoted the levels of GSH and suppressed the levels of MDA, LDH, TNF-α, and IL-6. Mechanistically, silencing HAPLN1 activated the PKA pathway, which were confirmed both in vivo and in vitro.

CONCLUSION

HAPLN1 knockdown inhibited the progression of HF by activating the PKA pathway, which may provide novel perspectives on the management of HF.

Multidisciplinary Management of Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Cardiovascular Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) frequently coexist, increasing the prevalence of both entities and impacting on symptoms and prognosis. CVD should be suspected in patients with COPD who have high/very high risk scores on validated scales, frequent exacerbations, precordial pain, disproportionate dyspnea, or palpitations. They should be referred to cardiology if they have palpitations of unknown cause or angina pain. COPD should be suspected in patients with CVD if they have recurrent bronchitis, cough and expectoration, or disproportionate dyspnea. They should be referred to a pulmonologist if they have rhonchi or wheezing, air trapping, emphysema, or signs of chronic bronchitis. Treatment of COPD in cardiovascular patients should include long-acting muscarinic receptor antagonists (LAMA) or long-acting beta-agonists (LABA) in low-risk or high-risk non-exacerbators, and LAMA/LABA/inhaled corticosteroids in exacerbators who are not controlled with bronchodilators. Cardioselective beta-blockers should be favored in patients with CVD, the long-term need for amiodarone should be assessed, and antiplatelet drugs should be maintained if indicated.

Network analysis of symptoms, physiological, psychological and environmental risk factors based on unpleasant symptom theory in patients with chronic heart failure

BACKGROUND

Somatic symptoms and related factors in patients with chronic heart failure have been extensively researched. However, more insight into the complex interconnections among these constructs is needed, as most studies focus on them independently from each other.

AIMS

The aim of this study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of how somatic symptoms and related factors are interconnected among patients with chronic heart failure.

METHODS

A total of 379 patients were enrolled. Network analysis was used to explore the interconnections among the somatic symptoms and related risk factors.

RESULTS

The four core symptoms of chronic heart failure were daytime dyspnea, dyspnea when lying down, fatigue and difficulty sleeping. Within the network, the edge weights of depression-anxiety, subjective social support-objective social support, and subjective social support-social support availability were more significant than others. Among physiological, psychological and environmental factors, the edge weights of NYHA-dyspnea, depression-difficulty sleeping, and social support availability-dyspnea when lying down were more significant than others. Depression and anxiety had the highest centrality, indicating stronger and closer connections with other nodes.

CONCLUSIONS

Psychological and environmental factors stood out in the network, suggesting the potential value of interventions targeting these factors to improve overall health.

Negligible effect of vitamin D supplementation on exacerbation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: meta-analysis

Introduction

The focus of this meta-analysis was how vitamin D supplementation influences exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and vitamin D deficiency (VDD).

Materials and methods

Cochrane Library, Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases have been systematically searched in an attempt to collect randomized controlled trials related to vitamin D supplementation in COPD patients with VDD published in English available by July 2022. Primary outcome indicators included the mean number of exacerbation and rate of exacerbation. Secondary outcome indicators included forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), FEV1/forced vital capacity (FVC) ratio, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration.

Results

Five studies involving 522 COPD patients with VDD (defined as 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L) were included, among them 61 were severely deficient in vitamin D (25(OH)D < 25 nmol/L). The results showed that vitamin D supplementation did not decrease the mean number of exacerbation (standardized mean difference (SMD): - 0.10, 95% CI: - 0.29 to 0.09) and the rate of exacerbation (relative risk (RR): 0.89, 95% CI: 0.76 to 1.04, P = 0.179). Also, its effect on FEV1 (SMD: - 0.06, 95% CI: - 0.30 to 0.17) and FEV1/FVC (SMD: -0.10, 95% CI: - 0.48 to 0.27) remained negligible. However, it could increase the serum 25(OH)D concentration (SMD: 2.44, 95 CI%: 2.20 to 2.68, P < 0.001).

Conclusions

The effects of vitamin D supplementation on decreasing exacerbation and improving pulmonary function were not significant.

Representation of time-varying and time-invariant EMR data and its application in modeling outcome prediction for heart failure patients

OBJECTIVE

To represent a patient record with both time-invariant and time-varying features as a single vector using an end-to-end deep learning model, and further to predict the kidney failure (KF) status and mortality of heart failure (HF) patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The time-invariant EMR data included demographic information and comorbidities, and the time-varying EMR data were lab tests. We used a Transformer encoder module to represent the time-invariant data, and refined a long short-term memory (LSTM) with a Transformer encoder attached to the top to represent the time-varying data, taking the original measured values and their corresponding embedding vectors, masking vectors, and two types of time intervals as inputs. The proposed representations of patients with time-invariant and time-varying data were used to predict KF status (949 out of 5268 HF patients diagnosed with KF) and mortality (463 in-hospital deaths) for HF patients. Comparative experiments were conducted between the proposed model and some representative machine learning models. Ablation experiments were also performed around the time-varying data representation, including replacing the refined LSTM with the standard LSTM, GRU-D and T-LSTM, respectively, and removing the Transformer encoder and the time-varying data representation module, respectively. The visualization of the attention weights of the time-invariant and time-varying features was used to clinically interpret the predictive performance. We used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), the area under the precision-recall curve (AUPRC), and the F1-score to evaluate the predictive performance of the models.

RESULTS

The proposed model achieved superior performance, with average AUROCs, AUPRCs and F1-scores of 0.960, 0.610 and 0.759 for KF prediction and 0.937, 0.353 and 0.537 for mortality prediction, respectively. Predictive performance improved with the addition of time-varying data from longer time periods. The proposed model outperformed the comparison and ablation references in both prediction tasks.

CONCLUSIONS

Both time-invariant and time-varying EMR data of patients could be efficiently represented by the proposed unified deep learning model, which shows higher performance in clinical prediction tasks. The way to use time-varying data in the current study is hopeful to be used in other kinds of time-varying data and other clinical tasks.

Spirometry in atrial fibrillation: what's the catch?

INTRODUCTION

People with COPD rarely have COPD alone, and the commonest co-morbidities occurring with COPD are cardiovascular. Whilst multiple studies have explored the association between major cardiovascular events and COPD, less attention has been paid to arrhythmias, specifically atrial fibrillation (AF). AF and COPD frequently occur together, posing challenges in diagnosis and management. In this review, we describe the relationship between AF and COPD epidemiologically and physiologically, demonstrating the role of spirometry as a diagnostic and disease management tool.

AREAS COVERED

We provide epidemiological evidence that COPD and AF are independent risk factors for one another, that either disease is highly prevalent amongst people with the other, and that they have shared risk factors; all of which contribute to adverse prognostic. We elucidated common pathophysiological mechanisms implicated in AF-COPD. We ultimately present the epidemiological and physiological evidence with a view to highlight specific areas where we feel spirometry is of value in the management of AF-COPD.

EXPERT OPINION

AF and COPD commonly co-occur, there is often diagnostic delay, increased risk of reduced cardioversion success, and missed opportunity to intervene to reduce stroke risk. Greater awareness and timelier diagnosis and guideline directed management may improve outcomes for people with both diseases.

Clinical features and outcomes of elderly hospitalised patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart failure or both

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) mutually increase the risk of being present in the same patient, especially if older. Whether or not this coexistence may be associated with a worse prognosis is debated. Therefore, employing data derived from the REPOSI register, we evaluated the clinical features and outcomes in a population of elderly patients admitted to internal medicine wards and having COPD, HF or COPD + HF.

METHODS

We measured socio-demographic and anthropometric characteristics, severity and prevalence of comorbidities, clinical and laboratory features during hospitalization, mood disorders, functional independence, drug prescriptions and discharge destination. The primary study outcome was the risk of death.

RESULTS

We considered 2,343 elderly hospitalized patients (median age 81 years), of whom 1,154 (49%) had COPD, 813 (35%) HF, and 376 (16%) COPD + HF. Patients with COPD + HF had different characteristics than those with COPD or HF, such as a higher prevalence of previous hospitalizations, comorbidities (especially chronic kidney disease), higher respiratory rate at admission and number of prescribed drugs. Patients with COPD + HF (hazard ratio HR 1.74, 95% confidence intervals CI 1.16-2.61) and patients with dementia (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.06-2.90) had a higher risk of death at one year. The Kaplan-Meier curves showed a higher mortality risk in the group of patients with COPD + HF for all causes (p = 0.010), respiratory causes (p = 0.006), cardiovascular causes (p = 0.046) and respiratory plus cardiovascular causes (p = 0.009).

CONCLUSION

In this real-life cohort of hospitalized elderly patients, the coexistence of COPD and HF significantly worsened prognosis at one year. This finding may help to better define the care needs of this population.

Influence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on long-term hospitalization and mortality in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

BACKGROUND

Heart failure with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) can coexist with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which complicates the clinical situation and worsens quality of life. The study used standard diagnostic criteria for detecting COPD in hospitalized HFrEF patients and to survey the influence of other comorbidities and medications on the long-term outcomes of HFrEF + COPD patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively recruited patients hospitalized due to HFrEF in a tertiary medical center and examined and followed up clinical outcomes, including length of hospital stay, mortality, and readmission episodes, for a 5-year period. Risk factors for mortality were analyzed using multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

Of the 118 hospitalized HFrEF study participants, 68 had concurrent COPD whereas 50 did not. There was a significant increase in the male predominance, smoking history, higher hemoglobin level and increased length of hospital stay in the HF + COPD group than in the HF-only group. Lower left ventricular ejection fraction was found in the HF and COPD comorbidity group. In multivariate analysis, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor/angiotensin receptor blocker (ACEI/ARB) use independently associated with a beneficial effect on survival in HF patients with COPD. Oral corticosteroid uses and stroke as a comorbidity were independently associated with a shorter time to the first readmission episode.

CONCLUSION

In HFrEF patients, COPD was associated with a prolonged length of hospital stay. ACEI/ARB use might relate to a beneficial effect on survival in HF patients with COPD. The use of maintenance oral corticosteroid in patients with both HF and COPD should be crucially evaluated to determine the clinical benefit and disadvantages.

Comprehensive care for people living with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease—Integration of palliative care with disease-specific care: From guidelines to practice

Heart failure (HF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are the leading global epidemiological, clinical, social, and economic burden. Due to similar risk factors and overlapping pathophysiological pathways, the coexistence of these two diseases is common. People with severe COPD and advanced chronic HF (CHF) develop similar symptoms that aggravate if evoking mechanisms overlap. The coexistence of COPD and CHF limits the quality of life (QoL) and worsens symptom burden and mortality, more than if only one of them is present. Both conditions progress despite optimal, guidelines directed treatment, frequently exacerbate, and have a similar or worse prognosis in comparison with many malignant diseases. Palliative care (PC) is effective in QoL improvement of people with CHF and COPD and may be a valuable addition to standard treatment. The current guidelines for the management of HF and COPD emphasize the importance of early integration of PC parallel to disease-modifying therapies in people with advanced forms of both conditions. The number of patients with HF and COPD requiring PC is high and will grow in future decades necessitating further attention to research and knowledge translation in this field of practice. Care pathways for people living with concomitant HF and COPD have not been published so far. It can be hypothesized that overlapping of symptoms and similarity in disease trajectories allow to draw a model of care which will address symptoms and problems caused by either condition.

Diagnostic Values of Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN), Creatinine (Cr), and the Ratio of BUN to Cr for Distinguishing Heart Failure from Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background

In clinical practise, it can be challenging to tell the difference between asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF), which share comparable dyspnea symptoms. We aimed to examine whether renal function indexes blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine (Cr), and the ratio of BUN to Cr (BUN/Cr) can be used to distinguish HF from asthma and COPD.

Methods

A total of 170 patients were admitted for dyspnea symptoms in this retrospective study. There are 69 patients with HF (HF group), 50 patients with asthma (asthma group), and 51 patients diagnosed with COPD (COPD group). The levels of BUN, Cr, and the ratio of BUN/Cr in the three groups were compared. Student's t-test or the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used to compare means. Using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, model differentiation was evaluated (AUC). Z-test comparisons of AUC were carried out.

Results

Compared with the asthma/COPD group (asthma group + COPD group) or the COPD group, the levels of BUN and Cr were raised in the HF group, while there was no significant difference of the BUN/Cr ratio. Compared with those in the asthma group, the levels of BUN, Cr, and BUN/Cr ratio were significantly increased in the HF group (all p < 0.05), whereas no significant differences of BUN, Cr, and BUN/Cr ratio were found between asthma and COPD. The AUC in distinguishing HF from asthma/COPD were 0.736 and 0.751 for BUN and Cr, respectively, and no significant difference was observed between BUN and Cr. The cutoff values (specificity, sensitivity, and Youden index) in distinguishing between HF and asthma/COPD were 20.45 mg/dL (79.21%, 56.52%, and 0.357) for BUN and 0.782 mg/dL (72.28%, 68.12%, and 0.404) for Cr, respectively.

Conclusions

BUN and Cr showed accurate and reliable diagnostic values which could be potential biomarkers for differentiating HF from asthma and/or COPD.

Associations between biomarkers of multimorbidity burden and mortality risk among patients with acute dyspnea

The patients' burden of comorbidities is a cornerstone in risk assessment, clinical management and follow-up. The aim of this study was to evaluate if biomarkers associated with comorbidity burden can predict outcome in acute dyspnea patients. We included 774 patients with dyspnea admitted to an emergency department and measured 80 cardiovascular protein biomarkers in serum collected at admission. The number of comorbidities for each patient were added, and a multimorbidity score was created. Eleven of the 80 biomarkers were independently associated with the multimorbidity score and their standardized and weighted values were summed into a biomarker score of multimorbidities. The biomarker score and the multimorbidity score, expressed per standard deviation increment, respectively, were related to all-cause mortality using Cox Proportional Hazards Model. During long-term follow-up (2.4 ± 1.5 years) 45% of the patients died and during short-term follow-up (90 days) 12% died. Through long-term follow-up, in fully adjusted models, the HR (95% CI) for mortality concerning the biomarker score was 1.59 (95% CI 1348-1871) and 1.18 (95% CI 1035-1346) for the multimorbidity score. For short-term follow-up, in the fully adjusted model, the biomarker score was strongly related to 90-day mortality (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1428-2743), whereas the multimorbidity score was not significant. Our main findings suggest that the biomarker score is superior to the multimorbidity score in predicting long and short-term mortality. Measurement of the biomarker score may serve as a biological fingerprint of the multimorbidity score at the emergency department and, therefore, be helpful for risk prediction, treatment decisions and need of follow-up both in hospital and after discharge from the emergency department.

Traffic-related air pollution associated pulmonary pathophysiologic changes and cardiac injury in elderly patients with COPD

Traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) has shown enormous environmental toxicity, but its cardiorespiratory health impact on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been less studied. We followed a panel of 45 COPD patients with 4 repeated clinical visits across 14 months in a traffic-predominated urban area of Beijing, China, with concurrent measurements of TRAP metrics (fine particulate matter, black carbon, oxides of nitrogen and carbon monoxide). Linear mixed-effect models were performed to evaluate the associations and potential pathways linking traffic pollution to indicators of spirometry, cardiac injury, inflammation and oxidative stress. We observed that interquartile range increases in moving averages of TRAP exposures at prior up to 7 days were associated with significant reductions in large and small airway functions, namely decreases in forced vital capacity of 3.1-9.3% and forced expiratory flow 25-75% of 5.9-16.4%. Higher TRAP levels were also associated with worsening of biomarkers relevant to lung injury (hepatocyte growth factor and surfactant protein D) and cardiac injury (high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I, B-type natriuretic peptide and soluble ST2), as well as enhanced airway/systemic inflammation and oxidative stress. Mediation analyses showed that TRAP exposures may prompt cardiac injury, possibly via worsening pulmonary pathophysiology. These findings highlight the importance of traffic pollution control priority in urban areas.

Effects of enteral nutrition on heart function, inflammatory markers and immune function in elderly patients with chronic heart failure

Objectives:

To evaluate the effect of enteral nutrition on heart function, inflammatory markers and immune function in elderly patients with chronic heart failure and its clinical significance.

Methods:

Eighty patients with moderate and severe heart failure admitted to the Cardiology Intensive Care Unit (CCU) of Baoding First Central Hospital from May 2019 to May 2020 were included in this study and randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group and the control group, with 40 patients in each group. The experimental group was given enteral nutrition support therapy on the basis of conventional therapy for one month, while the control group was given restricted salt and water intake on the basis of conventional therapy, and patients were given free diet according to their wishes. The changes in heart function before and after treatment, changes in inflammatory factors such as TNF-a, CRP, IL-6, changes in levels of immunoglobulins such as IgA, IgM, and IgG, and the improvement of the performance status of the two groups were compared and analyzed.

Results:

After treatment, indicators such as BNP, LVEDD, LVEF and 6min walking distance in the experimental group were significantly improved compared with the control group, with statistically significant differences (p<0.05), and the levels of inflammatory factors such as TNF-a, CRP and IL-6 in the experimental group were significantly reduced compared with those in the control group (p=0.00). The levels of IgG, IgA, IgM and other immunoglobulins in the experimental group improved more significantly after treatment than those in the control group, with statistically significant differences (IgG, IgA, p=0.00; IgM, p=0.01). Moreover, the experimental group was significantly superior to the control group in the improvement rate of performance status score (ECOG) after treatment (p=0.04); The incidence of gastrointestinal adverse reactions in the experimental group was 20%, and that in the control group was 15%. No statistically significant difference can be observed in the gastrointestinal tolerance of both groups (p=0.56).

Conclusions:

Reasonable enteral nutrition boasts a variety of benefits for the recovery of elderly patients with chronic heart failure. With reasonable enteral nutrition, the heart function of elderly patients with chronic heart failure can be significantly improved, inflammatory factors can be reduced, immunity and performance status can be enhanced, and gastrointestinal tolerance can be ameliorated without obvious gastrointestinal reactions.

The Coexistence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Heart Failure

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic illness that is widely prevalent within the United States and has been frequently associated with heart failure (HF). COPD is associated with progressive damage and inflammation of the airways leading to airflow obstruction and inadequate gas exchange. HF represents a decline in the normal functioning of the heart resulting in insufficient pumping of blood through the circulatory system. COPD and HF present with similar signs and symptoms with some variation.

There are many specific diagnostic tests and treatment modalities which we use to diagnose COPD and HF, but it becomes an issue when you come across a patient who has both conditions simultaneously. For example, attempting to use an X-ray to diagnose HF in a COPD patient is next to impossible because the results are manipulated by the COPD disease process. This is the case with many other diagnostic tests such as an electrocardiogram (ECG), chest radiography (X-ray), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP), echocardiogram, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR), pulmonary function test (PFT), arterial blood gas (ABG), and exercise stress testing.

When a patient has both COPD and HF, it becomes more difficult to treat. Many treatments for HF have negative impacts on COPD patients and vice-versa, whereas some have also shown positive clinical outcomes in both diseases. It is agreeable that treatment has to be patient-centered and it can vary from case to case depending on the severity of the disease. Ultimately, in this review, we discuss COPD and HF and how they interplay in their diagnostic and treatment modalities to gain a better understanding of how to effectively manage patients who have been diagnosed with both conditions.

Impact of beta-blocker use on the long-term outcomes of heart failure patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

AIMS

The number of patients with both chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) is increasing in Asia, and these conditions often coexist. We previously revealed a tendency of beta-blocker underuse among patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) and COPD in Asian countries other than Japan. Here, we evaluated the impact of cardio-selective beta-blocker use on the long-term outcomes of patients with HF and COPD.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Among the 5232 patients with HFrEF (left ventricular ejection fraction of <40%) prospectively enrolled from 11 Asian regions in the ASIAN-HF registry, 412 (7.9%) had a history of COPD. We compared the clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of the patients with HF and COPD according to the use and type of beta-blockers used: cardio-selective beta-blockers (n = 149) vs. non-cardio-selective beta-blockers (n = 124) vs. no beta-blockers (n = 139). The heart rate was higher, and the outcome was poorer in the no beta-blocker group than in the beta-blocker groups. The 2 year all-cause mortality was significantly lower in the non-cardio-selective beta-blocker group than in the no beta-blocker group. Further, the cardiovascular mortality significantly decreased in the non-cardio-selective beta-blocker group before (hazard ratio: 0.36; 95% confidence interval: 0.18-0.73; P = 0.004) and after adjustments (hazard ratio: 0.37; 95% confidence interval: 0.19-0.73; P = 0.005), but not in the cardio-selective beta-blocker group.

CONCLUSIONS

Beta-blockers reduced the all-cause mortality of patients with HFrEF and COPD after adjusting for age and heart rate, although the possibility of selection bias could not be completely excluded due to multinational prospective registry.

Regulatory Effects of Andrographolide on Lung Tissue Inflammation and Th17/Treg in Rats with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Induced by Smoking and Lipopolysaccharide

The pathogenesis of Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is complex, and lung tissue inflammation and Th17/Treg imbalance are the key factors causing lung dysfunction. We constructed a rat COPD model induced by smoking and lipopolysaccharide to explore andrographolide’s regulation on lung inflammation and Th17/Treg in COPD rats. By contrast, the study found that normal rats, COPD rats forced expiratory volume of 0.3 seconds (FEV0.3), FEV0.3/forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow (PEF) levels decreased. In addition, the levels of IL-8, TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-6 in alveolar lavage fluid increased, and the level of IL-10 decreased. Concurrently, the total number of white blood cells, monocytes and macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes increased. Meanwhile, the contents of CD25, CD4, and Foxp3 in lung tissue all increased, and the protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and p65 increased. After treatment with andrographolide, the levels of FEV0.3, FEV0.3/FVC, and PEF increased, proving the increase was positively correlated with the concentration of andrographolide. The levels of IL-8, TNF-α, IL-17, and IL-6 in rat alveolar lavage fluid decreased, and the level of IL-10 sequentially. The total number of white blood cells, the number of monocytes and macrophages, the number of lymphocytes, and the neutral Granulocytes decreased significantly. And the contents of CD25, CD4, and Foxp3 in lung tissue significantly decreased, and the protein levels of HMGB1, TLR4, and p65 significantly decreased. The above results indicate that andrographolide might be a potential COPD treatment approach. Andrographolide improves the lung function of rats with COPD, reduces lung inflammation, regulates Th17/Treg balance, and its mechanism may be related to HMGB1/TLR4/NF-кB signaling.

The CT pulmonary vascular parameters and disease severity in COPD patients on acute exacerbation: a correlation analysis

Background

It is necessary to analyze the CT pulmonary vascular parameters and disease severity in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to provide evidence support for the management of COPD.

Methods

COPD patients on acute exacerbation admitted to our hospital from COPD patients from January 2019 to March 2020 was selected. The characteristics and ratio of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of small pulmonary vessels to the total area of the lung field, and the ratio of pulmonary artery and aorta (PA/A) cross-sectional diameter in patients with COPD were analyzed.

Results

A total of 128 COPD patients were included. There were significant differences in the duration of COPD, smoking history, the PaO₂, PaCO₂, pH, and FEV1, FVC and FEV1/FVC among COPD patients with different severity (all p < 0.05). The duration of COPD, smoking, PaO₂, PaCO₂, CSA and PA/A were correlated with the COPD severity (all p < 0.05). Both CSA, PA/A were correlated with post BD FEV1 (all p < 0.05). The cutoff value of CSA and PA/A for the diagnosis of severe COPD was 0.61 and 0.87 respectively, and the AUC of CSA and PA/A for the diagnosis of severe COPD was 0.724 and 0.782 respectively.

Conclusions

Patients with CSA ≤ 0.61 and PA/A ≥ 0.87 may have higher risks for severe COPD, and more studies are needed in the future to further elucidate the management of COPD.

Health status can predict diaphragmatic muscle thickness in COPD: pilot study

Abstract Introduction: Among the systemic implications of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) there are changes in the diaphragm and impact on health status. However, there are few studies on the possible relationship between these variables, and whether health status could predict diaphragmatic muscle thickness (DMT). Objective: To investigate whether there is a relationship between DMT and the prognostic mortality index Body Mass-Index, Airway Obstruction, Dyspnea and Exercise Capacity (BODE), dyspnea and health status, and to investigate whether health status can predict DMT in patients with COPD entering a pulmonary rehabilitation program. Methods: This is a pilot study with a cross-sectional design. Diaphragmatic muscle thickness was evaluated using ultrasound; health status through the COPD Assessment Test (CAT); the sensation of dyspnea by the modified Medical Research Council scale; and mortality, using the BODE index. Results: The sample consisted of 13 patients (68.69 ± 9.3 years) classified as having moderate to severe COPD. There was a strong and inverse correlation between diaphragmatic muscle thickness and health status (r = -0.735; p = 0.004). Simple regression analysis demonstrated that health status influenced diaphragmatic muscle thickness (β = -0.002; IC 95% - 0.004 to -0.001; p = 0.004), explaining 49% of the variance. However, no correlations were observed between diaphragmatic muscle thickness with dyspnea (r = 0.005; p = 0.985) or with the BODE mortality index (r = -0.219; p = 0.472). Conclusion: This pilot study demonstrated a strong inverse correlation between health status and DMT. In addition, health status was able to predict DMT in patients with COPD.

Music, A “Body-Mind Medicine” In Rehabilitation Programs of Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive disease characterized by dyspnea and chronic cough. The main risk factor is cigarette smoking, but there are other ones implicated in the COPD etiology such as air pollution, childhood asthma, aging, chemical exposure, dietary factors, and genetic predisposition. Besides, COPD is associated with several comorbidities that influence prognostic and management, like asthma, lung cancer, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and depression or anxiety. The management is multidisciplinary and its role is to ease symptoms, prevent complications, slow disease progression, and improve the quality of life. In the last years, many alternative techniques have been implemented such as speleotherapy, halotherapy, muscular training, neuromuscular electrostimulation, acupuncture, thermotherapy, and music therapy. From those, music therapy has become a form of “mind-body medicine” indispensable in rehabilitation programs, whether used actively or passively, and has gained a lot of interest in alternative medicine. Keywords: COPD, music therapy, alternative medicine,

Heart, lungs, and muscle interplay in worsening activity-related breathlessness in advanced cardiopulmonary disease

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Activity-related breathlessness is a key determinant of poor quality of life in patients with advanced cardiorespiratory disease. Accordingly, palliative care has assumed a prominent role in their care. The severity of breathlessness depends on a complex combination of negative cardiopulmonary interactions and increased afferent stimulation from systemic sources. We review recent data exposing the seeds and consequences of these abnormalities in combined heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

RECENT FINDINGS

The drive to breathe increases ('excessive breathing') secondary to an enlarged dead space and hypoxemia (largely COPD-related) and heightened afferent stimuli, for example, sympathetic overexcitation, muscle ergorreceptor activation, and anaerobic metabolism (largely heart failure-related). Increased ventilatory drive might not be fully translated into the expected lung-chest wall displacement because of the mechanical derangements brought by COPD ('inappropriate breathing'). The latter abnormalities, in turn, negatively affect the central hemodynamics which are already compromised by heart failure. Physical activity then decreases, worsening muscle atrophy and dysfunction.

SUMMARY

Beyond the imperative of optimal pharmacological treatment of each disease, strategies to lessen ventilation (e.g., walking aids, oxygen, opiates and anxiolytics, and cardiopulmonary rehabilitation) and improve mechanics (heliox, noninvasive ventilation, and inspiratory muscle training) might mitigate the burden of this devastating symptom in advanced heart failure-COPD.

Adequacy of Therapy for People with Both COPD and Heart Failure in the UK: Historical Cohort Study

Purpose

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) often occur concomitantly, presenting diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for clinicians. We examined the characteristics of patients prescribed adequate versus inadequate therapy within 3 months after newly diagnosed comorbid COPD or HF.

Patients and Methods

Eligible patients in longitudinal UK electronic medical record databases had pre-existing HF and newly diagnosed COPD (2017 GOLD groups B/C/D) or pre-existing COPD and newly diagnosed HF. Adequate COPD therapy was defined as long-acting bronchodilator(s) with/without inhaled corticosteroid; adequate HF therapy was defined as beta-blocker plus angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor and/or angiotensin receptor blocker.

Results

Of 2439 patients with HF and newly diagnosed COPD (mean 75 years, 61% men), adequate COPD therapy was prescribed for 726 (30%) and inadequate for 1031 (42%); 682 (28%) remained untreated for COPD. Adequate (vs inadequate) COPD therapy was less likely for women (35%) than men (45%), smokers (36%) than ex-/non-smokers (45%), and non-obese (41%) than obese (47%); spirometry was recorded for 57% prescribed adequate versus 35% inadequate COPD therapy. Of 12,587 patients with COPD and newly diagnosed HF (mean 75 years, 60% men), adequate HF therapy was prescribed for 2251 (18%) and inadequate for 5332 (42%); 5004 (40%) remained untreated for HF. Adequate (vs inadequate) HF therapy was less likely for smokers (27%) than ex-/non-smokers (32%) and non-obese (30%) than obese (35%); spirometry was recorded for 65% prescribed adequate versus 39% inadequate HF therapy.

Conclusion

Many patients with comorbid COPD/HF receive inadequate therapy after new diagnosis. Improved equity of access to integrated care is needed for all patient subgroups.

Polypharmacy among Older Individuals with COPD: Trends between 2000 and 2015 in Quebec, Canada

The treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and concomitant diseases requires several medications. Yet there is little data on how the pharmacological burden progressed over time among older individuals with COPD. We aimed to: 1) describe the proportion of older adults with COPD in Quebec, Canada, that were exposed to polypharmacy (≥10, ≥15 or ≥20 medications/year) between 2000 and 2015; 2) calculate the proportion of individuals receiving specific prescriptions for COPD during this period. We conducted a population-based cohort study with the Quebec Integrated Chronic Disease Surveillance System. Individuals aged ≥66 years with COPD and covered by the universal public drug plan were included. We calculated the total number of drugs used at least once by each individual during each of the studied years, and used age-standardized proportions to compare proportions of users between the years. The average number of drugs used increased from 12.0 in 2000 to 14.8 in 2015. The proportion of individuals exposed to polypharmacy increased (≥10 drugs: 62.0% to 74.6%;≥15 drugs: 31.2% to 45.4%; ≥20 drugs: 12.3% to 22.4%). The proportion of individuals receiving long-acting bronchodilators increased from 18.7% in 2000 to 69.6% in 2015. The use of short-acting bronchodilators decreased from 81.5% to 67.9%, and that of inhaled corticosteroids from 60.6% to 26.0%. The proportion of users of methylxanthines decreased from 15.0% to 1.9%. Older individuals with COPD are increasingly exposed to polypharmacy. Identifying which polypharmacy is beneficial is a priority.