Low Vital Capacity and Electrocardiographic ST-T Abnormalities in Asymptomatic Adults

Studies have shown that low forced vital capacity (LFVC) is associated with atherosclerosis. However, it is unclear whether LFVC is associated with resting electrocardiographic ST-T abnormalities, a common finding that is prognostic for cardiovascular events. Therefore, pulmonary functions, ST-T abnormalities defined with Minnesota Code, and cardiometabolic risk factors were examined in a cross-sectional study of 1,653 asymptomatic adults without past history of coronary heart diseases. The prevalence of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and ST-T abnormalities significantly increased with decreasing percent of predicted forced vital capacity (%PFVC). ST-T abnormalities were observed in 73 subjects (4.4% in total). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that, compared with the highest quartile of %PFVC (≥99.7%), the lowest quartile of %PFVC (≤84.2%) was persistently associated with ST-T abnormalities even after further adjustment for diabetes or metabolic syndrome (odds ratio (95%CI): 2.44 (1.16-5.14) and 2.42 (1.15-5.10), resp.). Similar trends were observed when subjects were divided into quartiles according to percent of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)), but not the ratio of FEV(1)/FVC. In conclusion, LFVC may be associated with ST-T abnormalities independent of metabolic abnormalities in asymptomatic adults, suggesting a plausible link between impaired pulmonary defects and cardiovascular diseases.