[Right ventricular cardiac failure in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: prevalence and clinical and instrumental characteristics].

The prevalence of right ventricular cardiac failure (CF) and its characteristics were analysed in 326 hospitalized elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) (average age 70+/-11 years). At admission right ventricular CF was diagnosed in 107 (33%) patients with COPD; its prevalence did not depend to sex but increased with age, especially among men. In patients with COPD right ventricular CF was associated with atrial fibrillation, anemia and obesity as well as a history of myocardial infarction. In patients with right ventricular CF dimensions of right ventricle and left atrium were significantly larger than those in patients without CF. Right ventricular CF was often associated with dilation of right atrium and pulmonary hypertension, especially with severe pulmonary hypertension. These data suggested that age (especially among men), pulmonary hypertension, atrial fibrillation, anemia, obesity and probably a history of myocardial infarction are risk factors for right ventricular CF in hospitalized elderly patients with COPD.