COPD and Risk for Heart Disease

Dealing with COPD can come with a lot of challenges. For many people, heart disease is one of the biggest issues they face.

The link between COPD and heart disease risks

How does COPD raise your risk for heart disease? One reason, according to the CDC, is that the primary cause of COPD is smoking. Over time, the smoke weakens the lungs, forcing the heart to work harder and more inefficiently to pump blood through the body. ^1,2

While researching more information for this article, I discovered that researchers in a new study discovered that smokers are more likely to die from heart disease than from lung cancer. ²

In this new study, researchers looked at 6,842 smokers who had CT scans, which included pictures of the heart. While measuring calcium in the heart they found that those COPD patients with the highest levels of calcium buildup were 24.4% compared to with 8.4% of those with no calcium buildup. ²

Although there are various ways to assess vascular disease, heart catheterization remains the gold standard. When it comes to managing pulmonary hypertension, oxygen therapy is the only available treatment.⁴

COPD and coronary artery disease often go hand in hand, likely because they share similar risk factors. While treatment is pretty much the same as for COPD, extra care is needed to account for breathing difficulties. ^3,4

My experience with heart tests and COPD

COPD is linked to various heart-related issues, including arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats), right ventricular dysfunction (when the heart's right side can't pump effectively), congestive heart failure (reduced heart function), and myocardial infarction (heart attack).³

I've seen a heart doctor a few times over the years. The first few times were to be cleared for surgeries that I had. I had to have an EKG (a test to record electrical signals in the heart) done this time.

Some of you may have had this before if you have ever gone to the ER for heart or breathing problems. They put those patches on your chest, arms, and legs. I also had to do a stress test (a test that evaluates the cardiovascular system's response to external stress) here while I was at my appointment.

They have two different exams for a stress test. You can do it with exercise like a treadmill, or for people like us who can't walk that long, they can do it medically.

I passed all of those tests in the past, but not long ago, I had to have a more thorough EKG because I had an abnormal one in the ER when I had gone for pneumonia last year. My doctor informed me that I may have to have a pacemaker in the future and that they will keep an eye on me.

More recently, I had been having chest pain, so I saw my heart doctor again. She ordered a heart CT with contrast. Hopefully I will have a followup article that will explain my results from this.

Do you have heart disease or any heart issues associated with your COPD? Please share with us in the comments below.