Non-invasive Assessment of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Elderly Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Non-invasive Assessment of Pulmonary Vascular Resistance in Elderly Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Many studies have evaluated the viability of measuring the pulmonary vascular resistance
 (PVR) by non-invasive methods in patients with pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary
 thromboembolism, ischemic cardiopathy and valvular disease. The investigators have not found
 other studies which evaluate the PVR in elderly patients with COPD. The hypothesis is that in
 patients with COPD, the severity of obstruction, expressed by GOLD class, is associated with
 an increase of PVR.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  diagnosis of COPD stage II, III or IV according to the GOLD guidelines

 -  signed the informed consent

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  ischemic cardiopathy

 -  severe valvular disease

 -  atrial fibrillation

 -  left bundle branch block