An important association between Bronchiectasis and the risk of cardiovascular events was published as an abstract in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. The study entitled “The Association Between Bronchiectasis And Cardiovascular Disease: A Population Based Study” was presented at this year’s American Thoracic Society International Conference.
Bronchiectasis a chronic disease that causes an abnormal stretching and enlarging of the lungs’ airways due to mucus blockage. The blockage and accompanying infection cause inflammation, leading to the weakening and widening of the passages. This chronic condition resembles chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Evidence shows that conditions such as coronary heart disease and stroke are common in patients with COPD.
In this context, a team of researchers led by Navaratnam and colleagues from the University of Nottingham, LSHTM, London and University College London, aimed at estimating the prevalence of coronary heart disease and stroke, and examining the risk of cardiovascular incidents in a sample of patients with a diagnosis of bronchiectasis compared to a sample of the general population.
Data analysis was performed using logistic regression to test associations between bronchiectasis, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Additionally, after controls were put in place for the study, cox regression was performed to test the hypothesis of increase risk of cardiovascular incidents in patients with a diagnosis of bronchiectasis comparing to a sample of the general population.
The results revealed that after controlling for the effects of age, gender, smoking, β blocker, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, nitrates, and anti-platelet prescription, the odds of coronary heart disease were 2.05 times higher in patients with a diagnosis of bronchiectasis compared to the general population. The odds of stroke were 1.38 times higher in patients with bronchiectasis compared to people without it. These results were achieved even after controlling for age, gender, smoking, ACE inhibitors, and anti-platelet prescription.
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Furthermore, the researchers found that the incidence of coronary heart disease and stroke were both higher in patients with bronchiectasis compared to people without it. Moreover, this risk of coronary heart disease and stroke were 2.69 times higher in patients with bronchiectasis.
Findings from this study revealed an association between increased prevalence of coronary heart disease and bronchiectasis. Additionally, the team of researchers found that patients with this condition are at a higher risk of cardiovascular incidents. However, further research is necessary to understand the biological mechanism by which these associations occur.