COPD, inflammation and co-morbidities

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a poorly defined construct that is hard to study. Nevertheless there is a commonly held view, based largely on clinical experience, that there is a strong association between COPD and both cardio-metabolic co-morbidities and common markers of inflammation. This has been further supported by the observation that medication for cardio-metabolic conditions markedly improves the outcome of patients with diagnosed COPD even where they have no history of serious cardiovascular co-morbidity. Interpretation of many of the studies on which these conclusions are founded are…