A STUDY OF LIPID PROFILE IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) the third leading cause of death in the world, represents an important public health challenge that is both preventable and treatable. According to Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD), Spirometric tests, Forced Expiratory Volume in first second (FEV1) less than 80% of the expected value and forced expiratory volume in first second to the forced vital capacity ratio (FEV1/FVC) less than 70% is the diagnostic criteria for COPD. In COPD smoking is the major risk factor and smoking affects the lipid profile of COPD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Spirometric parameters including FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio and lipid profile was studied in 100 cases of COPD patients admitted Government Fever Hospital, Guntur and 40 nonsmoker healthy subjects were selected as a control group. They were correlated using Pearson's correlation coefficient " r " . RESULTS: Majority of the cases are males belonging to 50-60years age group and all of them are smokers. Majority of the patients had moderate airflow limitation (GOLD Stages II and III). The lipid profile in COPD patients showed significant elevation of LDL cholesterol levels when compared to controls (P<0.005). CONCLUSION: Spirometric parameters FEV1, FEV1/FVC ratio is important to diagnose as well as to assess the severity of the disease. Smoking is an important risk factor for COPD and smoking effects the lipid profile of COPD patients. There was no correlation between lipid profile and severity of COPD. INTRODUCTION: According to WHO, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) will be the third leading cause of death in the world by 2030, represents an important public health challenge that is both preventable and treatable. Globally the COPD burden is projected increase in coming decades because of continued exposure to COPD risk factors and aging of the population. (1) Inhaled cigarette smoke and noxious particles such as smoke from biomass fuels cause lung inflammation, a normal response that appears to be modified in patients who develop COPD. In COPD, smoking is the major risk factor and smoking affects the lipid profile of COPD patients. The plasma β-lipoprotein, cholesterol and triglycerides concentration are higher and HDL cholesterol is lower in smoker than in nonsmokers. (2) The clinical importance of hyperlipoproteinemia derives chiefly from the role of lipoproteins in atherogenesis. Abundant epidemiological evidence establishes the multi-factorial character of this disease and indicates that the effects of the multiple risk factors are at least additive. Hence an attempt was made to investigate the levels of total cholesterol (TCH), triglycerides (TG), low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), high density lipoproteins (HDL) in COPD patients. Moreover, correlation of Forced Expiratory Volume in first second (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC ratio with lipid profile were carried out.