Treating stable chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and its potential cardiovascular risks (a basic overview)

: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a highly prevalent clinical syndrome. It affects a significant proportion of world population, including non-smokers. The number of COPD patients continues to grow. For many reasons, COPD is often associated with a heart disease. In some patients, a heart disease is the primary pathology, in others COPD develops first, while sometimes heart and pulmonary involvement occur more or less simultaneously. As yet we are unable to repair damaged pulmonary parenchyma or to restore capillary destruction occurring around pulmonary alveoli. Furthermore, the disease development cannot be completely suppressed. However, outpatients may be offered a range of treatment interventions leading to slower COPD progression, improvement in quality of life and longevity, and symptom and acute exacerbation risk reduction. The main aim of the paper is to present current perceptions of COPD and to discuss potential cardiovascular risks of the treatments used.