Study of co-morbidities in patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at a tertiary hospital

Background: Comorbidities are important events in the natural history of the disease and have a negative effect on the morbidity and mortality of COPD patients. It is increasingly recognized that, many patients with COPD have co-morbidities that have a major impact on quality of life and survival. Present study aims at studying the prevalence and effects of comorbidities in COPD patients at a tertiary hospital. Material and Methods: Present study was cross sectional, observational study conducted in COPD patients, diagnosed for more than 5 years, underwent investigations for various comorbidities. Results: In present study, 130 COPD patients were studied for various co-morbidities. Majority of cases were from 50 -64 years age group (49.23 %) and were male (97.69 %). Smoking was major factor noted among cases (73.85 %), out of them 23.96 % were current smoker. Mean duration since quitting of smoking was 7.24 ± 5.83 years. Comorbidities noted in present study were systemic hypertension (42.31 %), GERD and gastric ulceration (31.54 %), type 2 diabetes mellitus (30.77 %), metabolic syndrome (29.23 %), anemia (11.54 %), left sided cardiac abnormalities (10.77 %), depression (8.46 %), obstructive sleep apnea (6.92 %), ischemic heart disease (6.15 %), osteoporosis (4.62 %), bronchiectasis (2.31 %) and lung cancer (0.77 %). Conclusion: Comorbidities noted in present study were hypertension, GERD, type 2 diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, anaemia, left sided cardiac abnormalities and depression.