Brachial artery vascular wall condition in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Aim. To study the structural and biomechanical characteristics of brachial artery in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of varying severity and to compare the ultrasonographic data with the data of subjects of comparable age without signs of pulmonary disease.Methods. 109 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease of varying severity aged 55-75 years and 31 patients of comparison group without any obstructive pulmonary diseases, but having concomitant arterial hypertension not exceeding 1st degree, were examined. All patients underwent a clinical interview, a threefold blood pressure measurement with a three-minute interval, the respiratory function study by spirometry, and ultrasonography of the right brachial artery. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were subdivided to two groups according to the results of spirometry following administration of a bronchodilator based on the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) percentage to expected values. 55 patients with FEV1 over 50% of expected values were pooled to the first group. The second group consisted of 54 patients with FEV1 of 50% of expected values and lower. All groups were matched for sex, age and blood pressure level.Results. A reduction of brachial artery intima and adventitial layers thickness was found in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The vascular wall in those subjects was prone to stretching, had decreased elasticity and increased tensility. In addition, there was an evidence of smooth muscular layer tone decrease in the brachial artery wall.Conclusion. In patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease aged 55-75 years, regardless of the severity of the disease, initial biomechanical and later structural and anatomical changes of the brachial artery associated with normal blood pressure, caused by chronic hypoxia were registered.