Airflow Limitation in Cardiac Diseases in Europe

Airflow limitation (AL) occurs in a number of respiratory diseases including asthma and COPD; in middle-aged and older patients it typically represents Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and is associated with a high degree of co-morbidity which includes cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes. COPD often goes undiagnosed, especially in patients with established coronary disease because COPD and cardiovascular diseases share a major etiological factor: smoking. This cross-sectional, observational study, investigating the prevalence of AL in current or former smokers with established ischemic heart disease, aims increase the knowledge and understanding of COPD in this patient population, and to highlight the burden of comorbid disease in these patient