Cardiorespiratory continuum: general pathogenetic aspects

The XXI century brought new challenges to clinical medicine. According to several epidemiological studies, the combination of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the most common comorbid condition, worsening the quality of life and prognosis. Such dualism of these nosologies is called "cardiorespiratory continuum. The recent worldwide trend is to ascribe common risk factors and pathogenetic mechanisms to cardiovascular disease and COPD bearing in mind the wide spread of smoking habits, obesity, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome. The major common pathogenetic mechanisms include activation of RAAS, persistent systemic inflammation, and endothelial dysfunction. This article provides an overview of common risk factors and pathogenetic mechanisms in the patients presenting with a combination of CVD and COPD in the framework of a broader approach to diagnosis, risk stratification and therapy strategies needed to manage the comorbidity in question.