Abstract
IntroductionLiterature suggests that there is a close relationship between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular (CV) disease. The aim of this study was to assess whether the presence of coronary calcium (CC) on chest computed tomography (CT) in asymptomatic COPD patients is associated with an increased risk of CV events and mortality. Material and methodsA systematic review of the literature was performed following PRISMA recommendations. Studies published in the last 20 years in four databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and MEDLINE) were included. ResultsThree hundred fifty articles were identified, eight of them met the selection criteria. The included studies, conducted between 2013 and 2024, were predominantly multicentre cohort studies. The meta-analysis showed that the presence of CC on chest CT of COPD patients is an independent predictor of CV events (hazard ratio 1.44, 95% CI 1.22–1.70) and associated with an increased mortality during the follow-up period (hazard ratio 1.57, 95% CI 1.35–1.83). ConclusionsOur analysis suggests that the identification of CC on chest CT scans of COPD patients may be useful in the early detection and treatment of CV disease in asymptomatic patients. Prospective, multicentre studies confirming our findings are needed to explore the potential impact of early detection and treatment of CV risk in COPD patients.
Published Version
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