CORRELATION BETWEEN FEV1 AND PULMONARY ARTERY PRESSURE IN CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD)
Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic respiratory condition characterized by pulmonary vascular changes and airflow obstruction. Pulmonary hypertension is a significant morbidity in COPD patients and can deteriorate with progressive COPD. Objective: To assess the relationship between forced expiratory volume in one second and pulmonary artery pressure in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out in the Pulmonology Unit, MTI Khyber Teaching Hospital, Peshawar, from March 2025 to August 2025. The total number of patients enrolled using non-probability consecutive sampling was 73 COPD patients. Demographic and clinical information were collected. Spirometry was used to measure FEV1, and a transthoracic echocardiogram was used to assess pulmonary artery pressure. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation. Results: The mean age was 57.38 +/- 10.30 years. There are 73 patients, of whom 31 are male and 42 are female. The mean FEV1 percentage predicted was 58.38 +/- 23.52, and the mean pulmonary artery pressure was 47.71 +/- 20.11 mmHg. There was a strong negative correlation between FEV1 and pulmonary artery pressure (r = -0.547, p < 0.001). Conclusion: In COPD patients, reduced FEV1 was significantly associated with increased pulmonary artery pressure.