Role of COPD in Evaluation of Cardiovascular Risk

The association between chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been documented through a substantial number of studies within the past few decades. This review examines the historical development of pulmonary function as a risk factor for CVD and elucidates on the possible mechanisms of this association prescribed by the contemporary literature. Most data indicates pulmonary inflammation as a substantial factor in the initiation of CVD, but the precise mechanism remains ambiguous. Additionally, COPD often remains misdiagnosed or underdiagnosed due to the lack of apparent symptoms and an adequate classification scheme, exacerbating the high costs of managing this illness. Furthermore, there are no well proven methods for the prevention of COPD outside of smoking cessation. The current literature reveals a discrepancy in the assessment of COPD as a predictor of CVD and highlights a need for future studies. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media New York.