Common Comorbidities
Comorbid conditions are common in people with COPD, and can include ischemic heart disease, heart failure, asthma, diabetes, hypertension, and musculoskeletal problems. Lung cancer, in addition to several other serious tobacco-associated malignancies, may appear as an airways obstruction and may also add to the illness burden and shorten survival.
It is important to consider the presence of these comorbidities when managing patients with COPD. For example, the beta-blockers used to treat cardiac disease or glaucoma may cause or increase bronchoconstriction.
AsthmaAsthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that obstructs the airways, but it is important (and often difficult) to distinguish it from COPD. In some patients (about 15% in most studies), the conditions occur simultaneously. |
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