Open Access 13-05-2024 | Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis | Original article
Cardiovascular Structural and Functional Parameters in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis at Disease Diagnosis
Published in: High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention
Login to get accessAbstract
Introduction
Prevalence of cardiac and vascular fibrosis in patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) has not been extensively evaluated.
Aim
In this study, we aimed to evaluate the heart and vessels functional and structural properties in patients with IPF compared to healthy controls. An exploratory analysis regarding disease severity in IPF patients has been done.
Methods
We enrolled 50 patients with IPF (at disease diagnosis before antifibrotic therapy initiation) and 50 controls matched for age and gender. Heart was evaluated through echocardiography and plasmatic NT-pro-brain natriuretic peptide that, together with patients’ symptoms, allow to define the presence of Heart Failure (HF) and diastolic dysfunction. Vessels were evaluated through Flow Mediated Dilation (FMD – endothelial function) and Pulse Wave Velocity (PWV—arterial stiffness)
Results
Patients with IPF had a prevalence of diastolic disfunction of 83.8%, HF of 37.8% and vascular fibrosis of 76.6%. No statistically significant difference was observed in comparison to the control group who showed prevalence of diastolic disfunction, HF and vascular fibrosis of 67.3%, 24.5% and 84.8%, respectively. Disease severity seems not to affect PWV, FMD, diastolic dysfunction and HF.
Conclusions
Patients with IPF early in the disease course do not present a significant CV fibrotic involvement when compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Bigger and adequately powered studies are needed to confirm our preliminary data and longitudinal studies are required in order to understand the time of appearance and progression rate of heart and vascular involvement in IPF subjects.