[Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and its links with cardiovascular risk factors]

Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) often also present with one or more cardiovascular risk factors, resulting not only in an increased mortality rate but also in a major impact on the health care system. Aside from common predisposing and environmental factors, the hypothesis of a chronic systemic inflammation linking COPD and cardiovascular co-morbidities is supported by an increasing body of evidence in recent literature. This could in turn pave the way for new developments, both diagnostic and therapeutic, in the future. In this context, the studies CoLaus and PneumoLaus aim to further investigate characteristics of the Lausanne general population, in particular those relating to cardiovascular and respiratory disease.