Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) severely limits breathing and is the 5th cause of death worldwide. Inflammation drives COPD progression. Although inflammation is a protective response against harmful stimuli in the body, it becomes detrimental when present in high amounts. As COPD worsens, patients suffer from many other conditions especially heart disease. The health of COPD patients considerably deteriorates when they experience exacerbations. These events of significantly worsened respiratory symptoms enhance inflammation, and increase patient hospitalization and mortality. It is thought that inflammation contributes to increased arterial stiffness, a measure of vascular health and indicator of heart disease, and increases patient risk of heart disease. Yet, little is known about the relationship between these two processes in COPD and there are no data on changes in arterial stiffness during COPD exacerbations. Therefore, it is not known whether vascular health decreases as a result of COPD exacerbations and contributes to a greater risk of cardiovascular events. This study will assess the extent to which inflammatory markers found in blood and measures of arterial stiffness change over time during COPD exacerbations. We will be evaluating 40 patients while they are stable, experiencing an exacerbation and as they recover from an exacerbation. Arterial stiffness will be measured using a specialized electrocardiogram and blood pressure sensor with the assistance of a cardiologist. To measure the amount of inflammatory markers, blood will be collected and inflammatory markers quantified using commercially available kits. This study will contribute novel knowledge about the link between heart disease and COPD. It will identify inflammatory and cardiovascular targets that could objectively characterize the progression of COPD exacerbations and that could be modified to slow the course of COPD.