Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a risk factor for ventricular arrhythmias independent of left ventricular function

The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and sudden cardiac death has not been fully elucidated. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether decreased left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can explain the increased rate of ventricular tachycardia (VT) in COPD. This retrospective study included consecutive adult patients who underwent pulmonary function testing (PFT), Holter monitoring, and transthoracic echocardiography. COPD was correlated with the frequency of VT in a multivariate analysis that adjusted for known confounders including LVEF. Long-term all-cause mortality of patients with COPD and VT was examined. Of the 6351 patients included in this study (age 66 ± 15 years; 48% woman; 92% Caucasian, LVEF 59% ± 12%), 2800 (44%) had PFT indicative of COPD. VT was nearly twice as likely to occur during Holter monitoring in COPD patients (13% vs 23%; P