BACKGROUND: Increased intrathoracic pressure have an impact on left-sided heart function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To assess the relation between plethysmography findings and left ventricle (LV) measurements based on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in treatment naïve moderate-to-severe COPD patients.

METHODS: 15 patients with newly diagnosed moderate-to-severe COPD were included in our study. All individuals were current smokers with a smoking history of at least 10 pack-years. Plethysmography and cardiac MRI were performed before the specific COPD treatment.

RESULTS: All patients had a normal LV ejection fraction (EF) (58%; IQR 8.5) and volumes ? end-diastolic volume index (EDVi) (72 ml/m2; IQR 30), end-systolic volume index (ESVi) (32 ml/m2; IQR 12.9) as well as stroke volume index (SVi) (43 l/min/m2; IQR 19.5). In our patient cohort air trapping was dominating over hyperinflation (66% vs. 20%). Air trapping was defined as increased residual volume (RV) to total lung capacity (TLC) ratio percentage of predicted (RV/TLC%) (124%; IQR 14.0). Negative correlation between RV/TLC% and LV-EDVi (r= -0.786; p=0.001) as well as RV/TLC% and LV-SVi (r=-0.750; p=0.001) were observed. Our small study cohort results also showed the tendency of a negative correlation between RV/TLC% and LV-ESVi (r=-0.511; p=0.052).

CONCLUSIONS: Despite normal LV-EF, a correlation between LV volumes and air trapping magnitude is observed. As air trapping tends to precede hyperinflation, it may impact LV function, thus leading to worse long-term prognosis in COPD patients.