[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular diseases]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Patients with COPD are at increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis and lung cancer. Although some of the associations between COPD and atherosclerosis may be the result of common risk factors such as smoking, epidemiological evidence suggest that impaired lung function is a risk factor for increased cardiovascular death, independent of tobacco use. This phenomenon may be related to common genetic predisposition for atherosclerosis and emphysema. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, like atherosclerosis, is a disease of systemic inflammation and may hasten the progression of atherosclerosis and contribute to the higher rate of death in COPD. This article reviews close relationship between COPD and cardiovascular diseases, mainly atherosclerosis. The authors also present some preliminary data suggesting a possible influence of statin therapy on the clinical course of COPD.