Assesment of Right Ventricular Diastolic Function in Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease

Objective: Chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) is a systemic disease characterised by airflow limitation that is not fully reversible. Right ventricular diastolic function (rvdf) was investigated in COPD.Material and Methods: Study groups consisted of 40 patients with COPD and 24 healthy controls. All subjects performed respiratory function test and doppler echocardiography. Results: There was no statistical difference between patient and control groups with respect to tricuspid annular systolic velocity (S), tricuspid annulus early diastolic filling velocity (E) and tricuspid annulus late diastolic velocity (A) (p>0.05). For E/A ratio and VRT, there was a statistical difference between groups (p=0.05, p=0.0001). There was a positive correlation between FEV1 and E/A ratio (r=0.409, p=0.009). There was no statistically significant correlation between other parameters of Echocardiography (Echo), RFT and arterial blood gas (ABG) analysis comparisons. Decrease in E and E/A ratio in COPD whose SatO2≤%90 was statistically significant compared to patients with SatO2>%90 (p=0.002). Decreases in E and E/A rates were significant between COPD cases with PH (pulmonary artery pressure PABsis>30 mmHg), and those without PH (p=0.016, p=0.01). There was no statistically significant correlation between PABsis and FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. There was a negative correlation between PABsis and pO2, and positive correlation between PABsis and pCO2 (p=0.006, p=0.029). There was a positive correlation between FEV1, pO2 and satO2 (p=0.018, p=0.001). Conclusion: As a result, we concluded that, in order to evulate right ventricular functions in COPD cases, we must not only consider systolic functions but also examining the diastolic functions is important. Doppler-Echo proved to be favorable in evaluating rvdf in all COPD patients.