Cardiovascular disease in copd

COPD is a serious public health concern and is frequently associated with CVD. When COPD is associated with CVD, there is reduced health status and increased hospitalisation rate and mortality. CVD and COPD share a common background chronic low-grade systemic inflammation, triggered by several stimuli including air pollutants and cigarette smoke. The teleological activities and paradoxical effects of polypeptide cardiac hormones further support the intimate relationship between CVD and COPD. COPD exacerbations play a pivotal role in COPD progression, and early identification of cardiac problems could help to better phenotype COPD exacerbators and ameliorate disease prognosis. In this scenario, novel predictive tools and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk specifically validated in COPD populations may help to identify pre-symptomatic subjects. Current recommendations for the management of CVD in COPD patients are limited and therefore pulmonologists and cardiologists should work together in order to reach a correct and complementary diagnosis and identify tailored therapy.