Significance of Pulmonary Vascular Dysfunction in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently accompanied by abnormalities of the pulmonary vasculature. This vasculopathy spans the spectrum from mild vascular dysfunction to pulmonary hypertension, which on rare occasions can be severe. Given the worldwide prevalence of COPD, it is conceivable that the morbidity and mortality associated with pulmonary vascular dysfunction have been vastly underappreciated, especially in countries and regions where the infrastructure and resources to define the magnitude of the problem are often limited. This article reflects deliberations of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute's Innovative Drug Development Initiative (PVRI IDDI) Group 3 Pulmonary Hypertension Workstream on the role of the pulmonary vasculature in COPD. In this introductory paper, we lay the foundation for forthcoming papers by our group, with our ultimate goals being to increase awareness and encourage more research, including clinical trials, to address this unmet need.