Identification of electrocardiographic values that indicate chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

•QRS amplitude in lead І correlated significantly with airflow limitation.•QRS amplitude in lead І emerged as an independent variable related to COPD.•Low voltage in lead І (QRS less than 0.54 mV) is an important criterion in detecting COPD.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study was to investigate the association between respiratory function and electrocardiogram (ECG) characteristics in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and to identify the ECG results that indicate possible COPD.MethodsThe association between respiratory function and ECG results was retrospectively analyzed in 45 patients with COPD and 100 patients without COPD (controls).ResultsMultiple logistic regression analysis revealed that QRS amplitude in lead І was a significant predictor of COPD (partial regression coefficient = −4.208, p = 0.002). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that a QRS amplitude less than 0.54 mV in lead І indicated possible COPD (sensitivity: 71%, specificity: 76%, area under the curve: 0.78 [95% confidence interval: 0.69–0.86], p < 0.001).ConclusionLow voltage in lead І (QRS less than 0.54 mV) is an important criterion in detecting COPD.