Atrial Electromechanical Delay And P Wave Dispersion Associated With Severity Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate atrial electromechanical delay (AEMD) with both electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). Methods: Total of 110 patients were included in this cross-sectional case-control study. P-wave dispersion (PWD) was measured on a 12-lead ECG. Atrial electromechanical intervals (PA) were measured as the time interval between the onset of the P wave on the ECG and the beginning of the late diastolic A wave. Results: PWD was found to be 40.9 +/- 9.2 ms in the healthy control group, 45.6 +/- 8.2 ms in the mild COPD and 44.8 +/- 8.7 ms in the severe COPD group (p<0.05). Intra-right atrial EMD was found to be 10.7 +/- 5.8 ms in mild COPD, 11.0 +/- 7 ms in severe COPD, and it was 16.4 +/- 7.3 ms in healthy control group (p<0.001). Interatrial EMD was detected to be 29.5 +/- 9.1 ms in the control group, 24.1 +/- 9 ms in mild COPD group, and 23.9 +/- 11.1 ms in the severe COPD group (p<0.001). Conclusion: Both mild and severe COPD groups decreased PWD, increased tricuspid PA and significantly decreased inter and right intra-AEMD times in comparison to the control group.