Carotid arterial stiffness in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Patients with COPD have a cardiovascular risk three times greater than the normal population and cardiac disease accounts for about 50% of deaths in these patients. Arterial stiffness is a marker of increased cardiovascular risk and a predictor for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. There is evidence of increased aortic stiffness in COPD. The aim of our study is to determine parameters of carotid arterial stiffness in patients with stable COPD.