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COPD increases risk of heart disease, study finds

Category: Heart Health and Cholesterol

Individuals who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, may benefit from talking to their doctor about cholesterol testing. A new study indicates that patients with the chronic lung condition are significantly more likely to also develop heart disease.

A team of Swedish researchers analyzed the medical records of 993 participants with COPD and 993 individuals without the condition. The results showed that 50 percent of those with COPD also had heart disease, while only 41 percent of participants with normal lung health developed heart problems.

The researchers said that doctors should be more cognizant of the risk of patients with one chronic health condition developing another. Many diseases share risk factors. In fact, smoking and obesity are two of the leading risk factors for both COPD and heart disease. Cholesterol may also be associated with several conditions.

"This has important implications for clinicians who need to understand the potential overlaps of these conditions when they are treating people with COPD," said lead researcher Anne Lindberg.

She added that a condition like heart disease likely leads to poorer treatment outcomes for COPD.