If the lungs are not doing well, it can also affect the heart. The same applies vice versa. It is all the more important that both organs are looked at when making diagnoses
In the case of shortness of breath, many people first think of a problem with the lungs. But the symptom can also indicate a weakness of the heart. Both often come together: According to the German Heart Foundation, one in three heart failure patients also has COPD – this is a chronic lung disease that narrows the airways.
Lung disease COPD and heart failure often occur together
According to the Heart Foundation, many of those affected do not know anything about their double disease: “Unfortunately, we keep seeing that shortness of breath is attributed either solely to heart failure or to COPD,” says cardiologist Prof. Thomas Voigtländer.
Rapid loss of strength in double disease
“However, heart disease and lung disease often occur together,” says the Chairman of the Heart Foundation. It is therefore important that a COPD diagnosis also looks for a possible heart condition – and vice versa. If both diseases are present at the same time, this ensures that those affected lose strength more quickly. It is therefore important to treat both diseases at an early stage.
The fact that cardiovascular diseases and COPD occur more frequently together is partly due to the fact that they share certain risk factors – above all smoking. This is equally harmful to the airways and blood vessels.
COPD can lead to heart failure
But one disease can also trigger or influence the other: COPD sometimes leads to a thickening of the right heart muscle wall, which can lead to cardiac insufficiency – the technical term is cor pulmonale (lung heart).
Conversely, according to the Heart Foundation, treating an existing heart failure can significantly improve the long-term course of COPD.
