Respirology : official journal of the Asian Pacific Society of Respirology
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Observational Study
Exercise hypoxaemia as a predictor of pulmonary hypertension in COPD patients without severe resting hypoxaemia.
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) in COPD is associated with morbidity and mortality. Previous studies showed a relationship between resting hypoxaemia and PH, but little is known about the relationship between exercise hypoxaemia and PH in COPD without resting hypoxaemia. ⋯ In addition to 6MWD, exercise hypoxaemia indicates PH in patients with COPD without resting hypoxaemia.
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Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive disease in some patients, despite improved treatments. Microvasculopathy has been implicated in the poor outcomes of patients with CTEPH. A reduction in the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO ) was previously suggested to indicate microvasculopathy in CTEPH patients; therefore, we assessed DLCO /alveolar ventilation (DLCO /VA ) as a prognostic and pathophysiological marker in CTEPH. ⋯ Decreased DLCO /VA was associated with poor outcomes of medically treated CTEPH patients; and may be useful for identifying high-risk patients, potentially leading to earlier and more appropriate interventions.