Abstract
Objective Platelet activation in COPD patients is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events. We aimed at assessing the mean platelet volume (MPV), as an index of platelet activation, in COPD patients both when stable or during acute exacerbation (AE).Research design and methods A total of 478 patients (75 with AE) and 72 age-matched healthy controls were enrolled. Medical history, comorbidities, medications, pulmonary function tests, MPV and blood cell count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ERS) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were recorded.Results MPV was higher in COPD than in controls (8.7 ± 1.1 fL and 8.4 ± 0.8 fL respectively, p = 0.025) and increased with the severity of the disease as assessed by post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1) categorized I to IV (p > 0.05). MPV was higher in COPD patients during AE compared with stable condition (8.7 ± 1.0 fL and 8.9 ± 1.0 fL, p = 0.021). MPV ≥10.5 fL correlated with the presence of at least one co-existing cardiovascular disease (p = 0.008). No correlation was observed between MPV and CRP or ERS in patients or in controls. A negative correlation was found between platelet count and MPV in COPD patients.Limitations The retrospective design did not allow the assessment of a clear cause–effect relationship between MPV and all the pathophysiological factors considered.Conclusions Elevated MPV is associated with lower platelet count and with cardiovascular comorbidity in COPD patients. MPV is higher in more severe COPD and during AE. Present findings warrant future studies to confirm a possible clinically relevant role for platelet activation in cardiovascular risk in the COPD population.
Highlights
An important association was observed between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases [1,2], being events such as myocardial infarction [3] and stroke [4] more frequent in these patients than in the healthy population
Most of the COPD patients were in stage II or III according to the post bronchodilator FEV1
Our study shows that mean platelet volume (MPV) values are higher in COPD patients than in healthy controls and increases with the degree of severity and during acute exacerbation (AE)
Summary
An important association was observed between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular diseases [1,2], being events such as myocardial infarction [3] and stroke [4] more frequent in these patients than in the healthy population. Both COPD and cardiovascular diseases share common risk factors, smoking habit as most important [5]. In elderly male patients with C COPD, the MVP was inversely correlated with the level of FEV1, and the impairment of AC cardiopulmonary function [15]
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