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COPD Limits Heart Function, Even When Mild BETHESDA, Md -- January 21, 2010 -- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diminishes the heart’s ability to pump effectively even when the disease has no or mild symptoms, according to a study published in the January 21 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. The study is the first time researchers have shown strong links between heart function and mild COPD. Researchers have long known that severe cases of COPD have harmful effects on the heart, decreasing its ability to pump blood effectively. The new results suggest that these changes in the heart occur much earlier than previously believed, in mild cases and even before symptoms appear. “This study shows that COPD, even in its mildest form, is associated with diminished heart function,” said Susan B. Shurin, MD, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), Bethesda, Maryland. “We now have evidence that the presence of even mild COPD may have important health implications beyond the lungs.” Using breathing tests and imaging studies of the chest, researchers measured heart and lung structure and function in 2,816 generally healthy adults (mean age, 61 years). Study participants were part of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) lung study -- a large study focused on finding early signs of heart, lung, and blood diseases before symptoms appear. Sensitive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) scans uncovered mild abnormalities in heart and lung function in many participants. They discovered that the link between lung and heart function was strongest in current smokers, who are at risk for both diseases, and especially in those with emphysema. The findings also appeared, to a lesser extent, in people with mild COPD who had never smoked. “These results raise the intriguing possibility that treating lung disease may, in the future, improve heart function,” said lead author Graham Barr, MD, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York. “Further research is needed to prove whether treating mild COPD will help the heart work better.” SOURCE: National Institutes of Health E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version