Risk and Prevention of Cardiovacular Events after Exacerbations of Respiratory Symptoms in Patients with COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with cardiovascular diseases, particularly ischemic heart disease, heart failure (HF), and atrial fibrillation (AF) (1 – 3). Both concomitant cardiovascular diseases and exacerbations of COPD (ECOPDs) increase the rates of future moderate ECOPDs (M-ECOPD) and/or hospitalized ECOPDs (H-ECOPD), cardiovascular events, and death (4, 5), particularly immediately after severe H-ECOPDs (6) (Figure 1). The high mortality and morbidity in this group