A Study to Assess Cardiac Troponin I Levels in Acute Exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (AECOPD) and Its Correlation with Severity of COPD

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of global morbidity and mortality, frequently complicated by acute exacerbation of COPD (AECOPD) that may result in cardiovascular stress. Emerging evidence suggests that cardiac injury, as indicated by elevated cardiac troponin I, may be associated with the severity and prognosis of AECOPD. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate cardiac troponin I levels in patients presenting with AECOPD and to investigate their correlation with disease severity, ventilatory requirements, length of hospital stays and mortality. Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Department of Medicine, including 106 patients diagnosed with AECOPD. Serum cardiac troponin I levels were measured at admission. COPD severity was graded using Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) criteria. Associations between cardiac troponin I levels and clinical outcomes were statistically analysed. Results: Elevated cardiac troponin I levels were observed in 55.7% of patients. A significant correlation was found between elevated cardiac troponin I levels and COPD severity ( P < .01), increased need for ventilator support (74.6% vs. 36.2%; P < .01) and prolonged hospitalisation (7.47 vs. 5.75 days; P < .01). All mortality cases (3.8%) occurred in the cardiac troponin I-positive group, although this finding was not statistically significant ( P = .128). Conclusion: Elevated cardiac troponin I levels are prevalent among AECOPD patients and significantly correlate with exacerbation severity, ventilatory support requirements and length of hospitalisation. While the association with mortality requires further exploration, cardiac troponin I may serve as a valuable prognostic biomarker for identifying high-risk patients and guiding clinical management during COPD exacerbations.