Diagnostic Potential of Oscillometry: A Population-based Approach.

Rationale: Respiratory resistance (Rrs) and reactance (Xrs) as measured by oscillometry and their intrabreath changes have emerged as sensitive parameters for detecting early pathological impairments during tidal breathing. Objectives: This study evaluates the prevalence and association of abnormal oscillometry parameters with respiratory symptoms and respiratory diseases in a general adult population. Methods: A total of 7,560 subjects in the Austrian LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) Study with oscillometry measurements (computed with the Resmon Pro FULL; Restech Srl) were included in this study. The presence of respiratory symptoms and doctor-diagnosed respiratory diseases was assessed using an interview-based questionnaire. Rrs and Xrs at 5 Hz, their inspiratory and expiratory components, the area above the Xrs curve, and the presence of tidal expiratory flow limitation were analyzed. Normality ranges for oscillometry parameters were defined. Measurements and Main Results: The overall prevalence of abnormal oscillometry parameters was 20%. The incidence of abnormal oscillometry increased in the presence of symptoms or diagnoses: 17% (16-18%) versus 27% (25-29%), P < 0.0001. All abnormal oscillometry parameters except Rrs at 5 Hz were significantly associated with respiratory symptoms/diseases. Significant associations were found, even in subjects with normal spirometry, with abnormal oscillometry incidence rates increasing by 6% (4-8%; P < 0.0001) in subjects with symptoms or diagnoses. Conclusions: Abnormal oscillometry parameters are present in one-fifth of this adult population and are significantly associated with respiratory symptoms and disease. Our findings underscore the potential of oscillometry as a tool for detecting and evaluating respiratory impairments, even in individuals with normal spirometry.

Updated reference values for static lung volumes from a healthy population in Austria.

BACKGROUND: Reference values for lung volumes are necessary to identify and diagnose restrictive lung diseases and hyperinflation, but the values have to be validated in the relevant population. Our aim was to investigate the Global Lung Function Initiative (GLI) reference equations in a representative healthy Austrian population and create population-derived reference equations if poor fit was observed. METHODS: We analysed spirometry and body plethysmography data from 5371 respiratory healthy subjects (6-80 years) from the Austrian LEAD Study. Fit with the GLI equations was examined using z-scores and distributions within the limits of normality. LEAD reference equations were then created using the LMS method and the generalized additive model of location shape and scale package according to GLI models. RESULTS: Good fit, defined as mean z-scores between + 0.5 and -0.5,was not observed for the GLI static lung volume equations, with mean z-scores > 0.5 for residual volume (RV), RV/TLC (total lung capacity) and TLC in both sexes, and for expiratory reserve volume (ERV) and inspiratory capacity in females. Distribution within the limits of normality were shifted to the upper limit except for ERV. Population-derived reference equations from the LEAD cohort showed superior fit for lung volumes and provided reproducible results. CONCLUSION: GLI lung volume reference equations demonstrated a poor fit for our cohort, especially in females. Therefore a new set of Austrian reference equations for static lung volumes was developed, that can be applied to both children and adults (6-80 years of age).

Reference Equations for Within-Breath Respiratory Oscillometry in White Adults.

BACKGROUND: Within-breath analysis of oscillometry parameters is a growing research area since it increases sensitivity and specificity to respiratory pathologies and conditions. However, reference equations for these parameters in White adults are lacking and devices using multiple sinusoids or pseudorandom forcing stimuli have been underrepresented in previous studies deriving reference equations. The current study aimed to establish reference ranges for oscillometry parameters, including also the within-breath ones in White adults using multi-sinusoidal oscillations. METHODS: White adults with normal spirometry, BMI ≤30 kg/m2, without a smoking history, respiratory symptoms, pulmonary or cardiac disease, neurological or neuromuscular disorders, and respiratory tract infections in the previous 4 weeks were eligible for the study. Study subjects underwent oscillometry (multifrequency waveform at 5-11-19 Hz, Resmon PRO FULL, RESTECH Srl, Italy) in 5 centers in Europe and the USA according to international standards. The within-breath and total resistance (R) and reactance (X), the resonance frequency, the area under the X curve, the frequency dependence of R (R5-19), and within-breath changes of X (ΔX) were submitted to lambda-mu-sigma models for deriving reference equations. For each output parameter, an AIC-based stepwise input variable selection procedure was applied. RESULTS: A total of 144 subjects (age 20.8-86.3 years; height 146-193 cm; BMI 17.42-29.98 kg/m2; 56% females) were included. We derived reference equations for 29 oscillatory parameters. Predicted values for inspiratory and expiratory parameters were similar, while differences were observed for their limits of normality. CONCLUSIONS: We derived reference equations with narrow confidence intervals for within-breath and whole-breath oscillatory parameters for White adults.

Supranormal lung function: Prevalence, associated factors and clinical manifestations across the lifespan.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It is now well established that there are different life-long lung function trajectories in the general population, and that some are associated with better or worse health outcomes. Yet, the prevalence, clinical characteristics and risk factors of individuals with supranormal FEV1 or FVC values (above the upper-limit of normal [ULN]) in different age-bins through the lifetime in the general population are poorly understood. METHOD: To address these questions, we investigated the prevalence of supranormal FEV1 and FVC values in the LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl and boDy) study, a general population cohort in Austria that includes participants from 6 to 82 years of age. RESULTS: We found that: (1) the prevalence of supranormal pre-bronchodilator FEV1 and FVC values was 3.4% and 3.1%, respectively, and that these figures remained relatively stable through different age-bins except for participants >60 years., in whom they increased (5.0% and 4.2%, respectively). Approximately 50% of supranormal individuals had both increased FEV1 and FVC values; (2) supranormal spirometric values were consistently accompanied by higher static lung volumes and lower specific airway resistance through the lifespan, indicating better overall lung function; and (3) multivariate regression analysis identified that female sex, higher muscle mass (FFMI), less diabetes and fewer respiratory symptoms were consistently associated with supranormal FEV1 and FVC values. CONCLUSION: Supranormal FEV1 and/or FVC values occur in about 3% of the general population in different age bins and are associated with better health markers.

Blood eosinophil counts in the general population and airways disease: a comprehensive review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The clinical context for using blood eosinophil (EOS) counts as treatment-response biomarkers in asthma and COPD requires better understanding of EOS distributions and ranges. We describe EOS distributions and ranges published in asthma, COPD, control (non-asthma/COPD) and general populations. METHODS: We conducted a comprehensive literature review and meta-analysis of observational studies (January 2008 to November 2018) that included EOS counts in asthma, severe asthma, COPD, control and general populations. Excluded studies had total sample sizes <200, EOS as inclusion criterion, hospitalised population only and exclusively paediatric participants. RESULTS: Overall, 91 eligible studies were identified, most had total-population-level data available: asthma (39 studies), severe asthma (12 studies), COPD (23 studies), control (seven studies) and general populations (14 studies); some articles reported data for multiple populations. Reported EOS distributions were right-skewed (seven studies). Reported median EOS counts ranged from 157-280 cells·µL-1 (asthma, 22 studies); 200-400 cells·µL-1 (severe asthma, eight studies); 150-183 cells·µL-1 (COPD, six studies); and 100-160 cells·µL-1 (controls, three studies); and 100-200 cells·µL-1 (general populations, six studies). The meta-analysis showed that observed variability was mostly between studies rather than within studies. Factors reportedly associated with higher blood EOS counts included current smoking, positive skin-prick test, elevated total IgE, comorbid allergic rhinitis, age ≤18 years, male sex, spirometric asthma/COPD diagnosis, metabolic syndrome and adiposity. CONCLUSION: EOS distribution and range varied by study population, and were affected by clinical factors including age, smoking history and comorbidities, which, regardless of severity, should be considered during treatment decision-making.

Effects of roflumilast on arterial stiffness in COPD (ELASTIC): A randomized trial.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cardiovascular risk is substantially increased in patients with COPD and can be quantified via arterial stiffness. The PDE-IV inhibitor roflumilast revealed a potential reduction of COPD-related cardiovascular risk. We aimed to investigate the effects of roflumilast on arterial stiffness by quantification of pulse wave velocity (PWV) in stable COPD. METHODS: In this randomized placebo-controlled trial, 80 COPD patients received roflumilast or placebo for 24 weeks. The primary outcome was the change in cf-PWV. Secondary outcomes comprised markers of vascular function (e.g. Aix and RHI), systemic inflammation (e.g. IL-6 and TNF-α) and clinical characteristics of COPD (e.g. CAT and 6MWT). RESULTS: A total of 33 and 34 patients completed the roflumilast and placebo arm, respectively (age, median (IQR): 64.5 (61-69.5) vs 64.5 (56-72) years; FEV1 , median (IQR): 34.5 (25.5-48.6) vs 35.3 (27-46.8) % predicted; 6MWT, median (IQR): 428 (340-558) vs 456 (364-570) m). Change from baseline PWV did not show a significant difference between roflumilast and placebo (+5.0 (95% CI: -2.0 to +13.0) vs 0.0 (95% CI: -7.0 to +7.0)%, P = 0.268). Roflumilast did not improve markers of vascular function or systemic inflammation. We observed a significant improvement in change from baseline 6MWT with roflumilast versus placebo (+53.0 (95% CI: +19.1 to +86.9) vs -0.92 (95% CI: -35.1 to +33.3) m, P = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Our study revealed no beneficial effects of roflumilast on arterial stiffness. Further studies are needed to test a potential improvement of exercise capacity with roflumilast in COPD.

Blood eosinophil count in the general population: typical values and potential confounders.

There is growing interest in blood eosinophil counts in the management of chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Despite this, typical blood eosinophil levels in the general population, and the impact of potential confounders on these levels have not been clearly defined.We measured blood eosinophil counts in a random sample of 11 042 subjects recruited from the general population in Austria. We then: 1) identified factors associated with high blood eosinophil counts (>75th percentile); and 2) excluded subjects with these factors to estimate median blood eosinophil counts in a "healthy" sub-population (n=3641).We found that: 1) in the entire cohort, age ≤18 years (OR 2.41), asthma (OR 2.05), current smoking (OR 1.72), positive skin prick test (OR 1.64), COPD (OR 1.56), metabolic syndrome (OR 1.41), male sex (OR 1.36) and obesity (OR 1.16) were significantly (p<0.05) associated with high blood eosinophil counts (binary multivariable logistic regression analysis), and had an additive effect; and 2) after excluding these factors, in those older than 18 years, blood eosinophil counts were higher in males than in females (median 120 (5%-95% CI: 30-330) versus 100 (30-310) cells·µL-1, respectively) and did not change with age.Median blood eosinophil counts in adults are considerably lower than those currently regarded as normal, do not change with age beyond puberty, but are significantly influenced by a variety of factors which have an additive effect. These observations will contribute to the interpretation of blood eosinophil levels in clinical practice.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Three Fully Automated SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Assays with a Focus on Specificity.

BACKGROUND: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous new serological test systems for the detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies rapidly have become available. However, the clinical performance of many of these is still insufficiently described. Therefore, we compared 3 commercial CE-marked, SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays side by side. METHODS: We included a total of 1154 specimens from pre-COVID-19 times and 65 samples from COVID-19 patients (≥14 days after symptom onset) to evaluate the test performance of SARS-CoV-2 serological assays by Abbott, Roche, and DiaSorin. RESULTS: All 3 assays presented with high specificities: 99.2% (98.6-99.7) for Abbott, 99.7% (99.2-100.0) for Roche, and 98.3% (97.3-98.9) for DiaSorin. In contrast to the manufacturers' specifications, sensitivities only ranged from 83.1% to 89.2%. Although the 3 methods were in good agreement (Cohen's Kappa 0.71-0.87), McNemar tests revealed significant differences between results obtained from Roche and DiaSorin. However, at low seroprevalences, the minor differences in specificity resulted in profound discrepancies of positive predictive values at 1% seroprevalence: 52.3% (36.2-67.9), 77.6% (52.8-91.5), and 32.6% (23.6-43.1) for Abbott, Roche, and DiaSorin, respectively. CONCLUSION: We found diagnostically relevant differences in specificities for the anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays by Abbott, Roche, and DiaSorin that have a significant impact on the positive predictive values of these tests.

Marked differences in prediabetes- and diabetes-associated comorbidities between men and women-Epidemiological results from a general population-based cohort aged 6-80 years-The LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) study.

BACKGROUND: Based on biological and behavioural diversity sex and gender may affect comorbidities associated with prediabetes and diabetes. Besides evaluating the prevalence of prediabetes and diabetes (using fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c levels), the primary aim of the study is to investigate sex and gender differences in the prevalence of comorbidities in subjects with prediabetes and diabetes and to identify possible risk factors associated with prediabetes and diabetes. DESIGN: This observational, population-based cohort study included 11.014 subjects aged 6-80 years. Examinations included blood samples, ankle-brachial index, ECG, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scan and an interviewer-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Across all ages, prevalence of prediabetes was 20.2% (male 23.6%; female 17.1%), and 5.4% for diabetes (male 7.3%; female 3.7%). The prevalence of prediabetes ranged from 4.4% (6-<10 years) up to 40.4% (70+ years) in men and from 4.8% up to 42.3% in women. Comorbidity profile was markedly different between male and female, particularly in those with prediabetes: women more often suffered from arrhythmia, noncoronary artery disease, osteoporosis, increased systemic inflammatory biomarkers and depression, while men with prediabetes more often showed angina pectoris, myocardial infarction and media sclerosis. CONCLUSIONS: The unexpected 4.6% prevalence of prediabetes in children aged 6-10 underscores the need for population-based studies across all ages and the onset of prevention of diabetes at a young age. Marked differences have been found in comorbidities as men with prediabetes and diabetes more often suffer from cardiovascular disease, while women more often show arrhythmia, noncoronary artery disease, increased systemic inflammatory biomarkers and depression.

The LEAD (Lung, Heart, Social, Body) Study: Objectives, Methodology, and External Validity of the Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy (LEAD) Study (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT01727518; http://clinicaltrials.gov) is a longitudinal, observational, population-based Austrian cohort that aims to investigate the relationship between genetic, environmental, social, developmental and ageing factors influencing respiratory health and comorbidities through life. The general working hypothesis of LEAD is the interaction of these genetic, environmental and socioeconomic factors influences lung development and ageing, the risk of occurrence of several non-communicable diseases (respiratory, cardiovascular, metabolic and neurologic), as well as their phenotypic (ie, clinical) presentation. METHODS: LEAD invited from 2011-2016 a random sample (stratified by age, gender, residential area) of Vienna inhabitants (urban cohort) and all the inhabitants of six villages from Lower Austria (rural cohort). Participants will be followed-up every four years. A number of investigations and measurements were obtained in each of the four domains of the study (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) including data to screen for lung, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, osteoporosis, and cognitive function. Blood and urine samples are stored in a biobank for future investigations. RESULTS: A total of 11.423 males (47.6%) and females (52.4%), aged 6-80 years have been included in the cohort. Compared to governmental statistics, the external validity of LEAD with respect to age, gender, citizenship, and smoking status was high. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the LEAD cohort has been established following high quality standards; it is representative of the Austrian population and offers a platform to understand lung development and ageing as a key mechanism of human health both in early and late adulthood.

Treatment of COPD Exacerbation in Switzerland: Results and Recommendations of the European COPD Audit.

BACKGROUND: The European COPD Audit initiated by the European Respiratory Society (ERS) evaluated the management of hospital admissions due to exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in several European countries. Data on the treatment of severe acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPDs) in Switzerland are scarce. OBJECTIVES: In light of the GOLD 2010 guidelines, this work aims to examine the quality of care for AECOPD and to provide specific recommendations for the management of severe AECOPD in Switzerland. METHODS: A total of 295 patients requiring hospital admission to 19 Swiss hospitals due to exacerbation of COPD during a predefined 60 days in 2011 were included in the study. We compared the Swiss data to the official GOLD 2010 recommendations and to the results of the other European countries. RESULTS: Approximately 43% of the Swiss patients with severe AECOPD were current smokers at hospital admission, compared to 33% of the patients in other European countries (p < 0.001). In Switzerland and in Europe, spirometry data were not available for most patients at hospital admission (65 and 60%, respectively; p = 0.08). In comparison to other European countries, antibiotics were prescribed 14% less often in Switzerland (p < 0.001). Only 79% of the patients in the Swiss cohort received treatment with a short-acting bronchodilator at admission. CONCLUSIONS: Considering the overall high standard of health care in Switzerland, in light of the GOLD 2010 guidelines we are able to make 7 recommendations to improve and standardize the management of severe AECOPD for patients treated in Switzerland.

Risk of death and readmission of hospital-admitted COPD exacerbations: European COPD Audit.

Studies report high in-hospital and post-discharge mortality of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations varying depending upon patient characteristics, hospital resources and treatment standards. This study aimed to investigate the patient, resource and organisational factors associated with in-hospital and 90-day post-discharge mortality and readmission of COPD exacerbations within the European COPD Audit. The audit collected data of COPD exacerbation admissions from 13 European countries.On admission, only 49.7% of COPD patients had spirometry results available and only 81.6% had blood gases taken. Using logistic regression analysis, the risk associated with in-hospital and post-discharge mortality was higher age, presence of acidotic respiratory failure, subsequent need for ventilatory support and presence of comorbidity. In addition, the 90-day risk of COPD readmission was associated with previous admissions. Only the number of respiratory specialists per 1000 beds, a variable related to hospital resources, decreased the risk of post-discharge mortality.The European COPD Audit identifies risk factors associated with in-hospital and post-discharge mortality and COPD readmission. Addressing the deficiencies in acute COPD care such as making spirometry available and measuring blood gases and providing noninvasive ventilation more regularly would provide opportunities to improve COPD outcomes.

Variability of hospital resources for acute care of COPD patients: the European COPD Audit.

Studies have suggested that larger hospitals have better resources and provide better care than smaller ones. This study aimed to explore the relationship between hospital size, resources, organisation of care and adherence to guidelines. The European COPD Audit was designed as a pilot study of clinical care and a survey of resources and organisation of care. Data were entered by clinicians to a multilingual web tool and analysed centrally. Participating hospitals were divided into tertiles on the basis of bed numbers and comparisons made of the resources, organisation of care and adherence to guidelines across the three size groups. 13 national societies provided data on 425 hospitals. The mean number of beds per tertile was 220 (lower), 479 (middle), and 989 (upper). Large hospitals were more likely to have resources and increased numbers of staff; hospital performance measures were related in a minority of indicators only. Adherence to guidelines also varied with hospital size, but the differences were small and inconsistent. There is a wide variation in the size, resources and organisation of care across Europe for hospitals providing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease care. While larger hospitals have more resources, this does not always equate to better accessibility or quality of care for patients.

Differences in content and organisational aspects of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes.

The aim was to study the overall content and organisational aspects of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes from a global perspective in order to get an initial appraisal on the degree of heterogeneity worldwide. A 12-question survey on content and organisational aspects was completed by representatives of pulmonary rehabilitation programmes that had previously participated in the European Respiratory Society (ERS) COPD Audit. Moreover, all ERS members affiliated with the ERS Rehabilitation and Chronic Care and/or Physiotherapists Scientific Groups, all members of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and all American Thoracic Society Pulmonary Rehabilitation Assembly members were asked to complete the survey via multiple e-mailings. The survey has been completed by representatives of 430 centres from 40 countries. The findings demonstrate large differences among pulmonary rehabilitation programmes across continents for all aspects that were surveyed, including the setting, the case mix of individuals with a chronic respiratory disease, composition of the pulmonary rehabilitation team, completion rates, methods of referral and types of reimbursement. The current findings stress the importance of future development of processes and performance metrics to monitor pulmonary rehabilitation programmes, to be able to start international benchmarking, and to provide recommendations for international standards based on evidence and best practice.

Associations of long-term exposure to air pollution and noise with body composition in children and adults: Results from the LEAD general population study.

BACKGROUND: While long-term air pollution and noise exposure has been linked to increasing cardiometabolic disease risk, potential effects on body composition remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations of long-term air pollution, noise and body composition. METHODS: We used repeated data from the LEAD (Lung, hEart, sociAl, boDy) study conducted in Vienna, Austria. Body mass index (BMI; kg/m2), fat mass index (FMI; z-score), and lean mass index (LMI; z-score) were measured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry at the first (t0; 2011-ongoing) and second (t1; 2017-ongoing) examinations. Annual particulate matter (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations were estimated with the GRAMM/GRAL model (2015-2021). Day-evening-night (Lden) and night-time (Lnight) noise levels from transportation were modeled for 2017 following the European Union Directive 2002/49/EC. Exposures were assigned to residential addresses. We performed analyses separately in children/adolescents and adults, using linear mixed-effects models with random participant intercepts and linear regression models for cross-sectional and longitudinal associations, respectively. Models were adjusted for co-exposure, lifestyle and sociodemographics. RESULTS: A total of 19,202 observations (nt0 = 12,717, nt1 = 6,485) from participants aged 6-86 years (mean age at t0 = 41.0 years; 52.9 % female; mean PM10 = 21 µg/m3; mean follow-up time = 4.1 years) were analyzed. Among children and adolescents (age ≤ 18 years at first visit), higher PM10exposure was cross-sectionally associated with higher FMI z-scores (0.09 [95 % Confidence Interval (CI): 0.03, 0.16]) and lower LMI z-scores (-0.05 [95 % CI: -0.10, -0.002]) per 1.8 µg/m3. Adults showed similar trends in cross-sectional associations as children, though not reaching statistical significance. We observed no associations for noise exposures. Longitudinal analyses on body composition changes over time yielded positive associations for PM10, but not for other exposures. CONCLUSION: Air pollution exposure, mainly PM10, was cross-sectionally and longitudinally associated with body composition in children/adolescents and adults. Railway/road-traffic noise exposures showed no associations in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

A Multivariant Surrogate Virus Neutralization Test Demonstrates Distinct SARS-CoV-2-Specific Antibody Responses in People Living with HIV after a Fourth Monovalent mRNA Vaccination or an Omicron Breakthrough Infection.

While neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) induced by monovalent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccinations are primarily directed against the wildtype (WT), subsequent exposure to the Omicron variants may increase the breadth of the antibodies' cross-neutralizing activity. Here, we analyzed the impact of an Omicron breakthrough infection (BTI) or a fourth monovalent mRNA vaccination on nAb profiles in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). Using a multivariant surrogate virus neutralization test (sVNT), we quantified nAbs in 36 three-times vaccinated PLWH, of whom 9 acquired a serologically confirmed Omicron BTI, 8 received a fourth vaccine dose, and 19 were neither infected nor additionally vaccinated. While nAbs against WT and Delta increased after the BTI and a fourth vaccination, a significant increase against BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 was only observed after the BTI. However, there was no significant difference in nAb concentrations between the samples obtained after the BTI and fourth vaccination. In contrast, nAb levels were significantly lower in PLWH, who were neither infected nor additionally vaccinated after three vaccinations. Thus, our study demonstrates the suitability of a multivariant sVNT to assess hybrid humoral immunity after Omicron BTIs in PLWH vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.

Association of Preserved Ratio Impaired Spirometry with Arterial Stiffness.

Rationale: Preserved ratio impaired spirometry (PRISm) is a recently recognized spirometric pattern defined by a ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 second to forced vital capacity of at least 0.70 and a forced expiratory volume in 1 second <80% of reference. For unclear reasons, PRISm is associated with increased cardiovascular (CV) morbidity and mortality. Arterial stiffness is a major mechanism of CV disease, which can be measured by carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (cfPWV). Objectives: We explored the hypothesis that cfPWV would be increased in individuals with PRISm and airflow limitation (AL). Methods: We measured forced spirometry, lung volumes by body plethysmography, and cfPWV in 9,466 subjects recruited from the general population in the Austrian cross-sectional LEAD (Lung, Heart, Social, Body) study and tested the association of arterial stiffness with PRISm and AL by multivariable linear regression analysis. Individuals younger than 18 years were excluded from the study. Results: Individuals with PRISm (n = 431; 4.6%) were of similar age to those with normal spirometry (n = 8,136; 85.9%) and significantly younger than those with AL (n = 899; 9.5%). Arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, heart failure, and peripheral arterial occlusive disease were significantly more common in individuals with PRISm than in those with normal lung function and similar to those with AL. There was a significant association between PRISm and arterial stiffness on bivariate linear regression analysis (crude model, ß = 0.038; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.016-0.058), which persisted after robust adjustment for clinical confounders upon multivariable analysis (final model, ß = 0.017; 95% CI, 0.001-0.032). cfPWV was significantly higher in individuals with PRISm irrespective of the presence of established CV disease or pulmonary restriction. AL also showed a significant association with arterial stiffness on multivariable linear regression analysis (final model, ß = 0.025; 95% CI, 0.009-0.042). Conclusions: Arterial stiffness measured by cfPWV is increased in individuals with PRISm independent of CV disease and risk factors. The pathobiological mechanisms underlying this association deserve further research.