Targeting Mechanisms Linking COPD to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) often coexist. The mechanistic links between these two diseases are complex, multifactorial, and not entirely understood, but they can influence the approach to treatment. Understanding whether COPD comes first followed by T2DM or vice versa, or whether the two diseases develop simultaneously due to common underlying mechanisms, is important for the development of novel therapeutic approaches to these two important diseases. In this review, we discuss the potential links between COPD and T2DM and pharmacological approaches that might target these links.