Decreasing cardiac chamber sizes and associated heart dysfunction in COPD: role of hyperinflation.

Background: Little is known about the role of abnormal lung function in heart size and heart dysfunction in patients with COPD. We studied the relationship of lung function with heart size and heart dysfunction and associated consequences for 6-min walk distance (6MWD) in patients with COPD of different severitites.

Methods: In 138 patients with COPD (Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease [GOLD] I-IV), we measured the size of all cardiac chambers, left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (relaxation and filling), and global right ventricular dysfunction (Tei-index) by echocardiography.