Open AccessHeart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: Two for tea or tea for two?
Author(s) -
Stanislav Šuškovič,
Mitja Košnik,
Mitja Lainščak
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
world journal of cardiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1949-8462
DOI - 10.4330/wjc.v2.i10.305
Subject(s) - medicine , copd , tolerability , heart failure , spirometry , pulmonary disease , comorbidity , clinical practice , intensive care medicine , cardiology , disease , physical therapy , adverse effect , asthma
A combination of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and heart failure (HF) is common yet it is inadequately and rarely recognized. Because of the similar clinical manifestations, comorbidity is frequently not considered and appropriate diagnostic tests are not performed. It is very important that a combination of COPD and HF is recognized as these patients have a worse prognosis than patients with an individual disease. When present, COPD should not prevent the use of life-saving therapy in patients with HF, particularly β-blockers. Despite clear evidence of the safety and tolerability of cardioselective β-blockers in COPD patients, these drugs remain grossly underprescribed and underdosed. Routine spirometry and echocardiography in HF and COPD patients, respectively, is therefore warranted to improve current clinical practice.