Respiratory and Cardiovascular Alterations in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung condition characterized by chronic respiratory symptoms (dyspnoea, cough, sputum production and/or exacerbations) due to abnormalities of the airways (e.g. bronchitis, bronchiolitis) and/or alveoli (emphysema) that lead to persistent, often progressive, airflow obstruction.

It is a major cause of disability and death worldwide. Moreover, people with COPD often have cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) that are associated with increased risk for hospitalization and prolonged stay as well as all-cause and CVD-related mortality. Nevertheless, CVDs in patients with COPD are tend to be underestimated in clinical practice. Mechanisms that define the relation between COPD and cardiovascular morbidity include lung hyperinflation, hypoxia, pulmonary hypertension, systemic inflammation and oxidative stress, exacerbation, shared risk factors and COPD phenotypes. In the past years, some authors have announced that COPD treatment with dual bronchodilation may not only improve pulmonary function and quality of life, but also have a positive effect on cardiac function. However, there is a lack of studies with treatment-naïve patients that would describe the initial effect of dual bronchodilation on respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In this study we aimed to evaluate the effect of initial dual bronchodilation on the quality of life, respiratory and cardiovascular systems in patients with newly-diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.