The lungs and the heart make up two main systems in the body -- the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Together, they form the cardiopulmonary system, which is responsible for the uptake of oxygen from the air we breathe, the transport of oxygen to the cells and tissues of the body, and the removal of carbon dioxide from the muscles and other organs. It is not surprising to learn, then, that one system can impact the other.
A recent Dutch study has revealed that the risk for heart disease is higher in those who have COPD or impaired lung function. In fact, having both conditions at the same time may lead to far more serious consequences that having just one or the other, alone.
Anne Lindberg, MD, PhD, professor in respiratory medicine from the University of Umeå, Sweden said: "We know COPD is associated with systemic inflammation and has a possible link to CVD's systemic inflammation. We found that a high percentage of people with COPD have CVD, and that every other individual [43.1% of respondents] has chronic rhinitis. This is a far higher incidence than in people without COPD. If two conditions related to local and systemic inflammation are combined, will this aggravate the inflammatory cascade? Will this affect the disease process in COPD? Is there a particular population vulnerable to this? We want to look into this."
What can you do if you have COPD to lower your potential for heart disease? Check out the following:
- Quit smoking -- smoking negatively affects the lungs and the blood vessels.
- Implement a healthy diet and exercise program -- important for both heart and lung diseases.
- Talk to your doctor about treatment with certain medications -- particularly treatment with corticosteroids, which has been associated with cardiovascular events.
If you have COPD, do you also have heart disease? Be sure to vote in the poll and leave a comment.
![[Social Submit this]](http://www.socialsubmit.com/images/socialsubmit.png "[Social Submit this]")
Sign up for my free newsletter!
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook
Sometimes I wish to remain ignorant—I don’t like being bombarded especially with all the possibilities–so from now on I will pick and chose what I read on “research” that doesn’t mean that I stick my head in the sand-I just get discussed when I read about 1 research study–this is from someone who had 7 heart stents put in=in 2002 and have standing appt with cardiologist who continues to test and to give my “flying” colors–just my opinion
I am not surprised at this information,the body is continually struggling with someone with COPD let alone with cvd aswell.People with Copd can tell that the body needs help when they are having a exacerbation,the breathing is so laboured.