The impact of heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on mortality in patients presenting with breathlessness.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Differentiating heart failure from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a patient presenting with breathlessness is difficult but may have implications for outcome. We investigated the prognostic impact of diagnoses of COPD and/or heart failure in consecutive patients presenting to a secondary care clinic with breathlessness.

Methods

In patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) by visual estimation, N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NTproBNP) levels and spirometry were evaluated (N = 4986). Heart failure was defined as either LVSD worse than mild (heart failure with reduced ejection fraction) or LVSD mild or better and raised NTproBNP levels (> 400 ng/L) (heart failure with normal ejection fraction). COPD was defined as forced

SUBMITTER: Cuthbert JJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6510798 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature