The tensions between star Indian batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and the coach of the Indian cricket team Gautam Gambhir, does not look like dissipating any time soon. Despite their splendid performances in the first ODI between India and South Africa
COPD And Heart Health: The Overlooked Connection Between Damaged Lungs And A Strained Heart
COPD And Heart Health: The Overlooked Connection Between Damaged Lungs And A Strained Heart
COPD and heart health are closely interconnected, and the reasons begin with their shared root cause. In most patients, COPD develops due to smoking-related lung damage and smoking affects both the lungs and the heart simultaneously. It leads to irreversible destruction of the alveoli (the functional air sacs of the lungs), resulting in COPD, while also causing blockages in the coronary arteries that supply blood to the heart. In other words, the same causative factor, smoking damages both organs.
Dr. Nevin Kishore, Senior Consultant and Head of Bronchology, Max Hospital, Gurgaon, explains, “Firstly, because lung and heart disease often stem from the same cause, there is a direct clinical correlation between the two."
Dr Kishore further adds, “Secondly, patients with advanced COPD frequently develop pulmonary hypertension, a condition in which poor lung function causes increased pressure in the blood vessels of the lungs. This back pressure strains the right side of the heart, leading to its enlargement and reduced ability to pump effectively. This becomes more pronounced in severe COPD and forms a major link between lung disease and heart failure."
Many patients experience symptoms such as swelling in the feet, worsening breathlessness, and a growing dependence on supplemental oxygen. These signs often indicate that the heart has begun to struggle due to sustained pulmonary hypertension, especially in later stages of COPD.
A third link is the hyperinflation of the lungs seen in COPD. “When the damaged lungs behave like overinflated balloons, they reduce the space available in the chest and exert mechanical pressure on the heart. This can impair the heart's pumping ability over time," adds Dr Kishore.
As a result, even the left side of the heart becomes affected. Patients may develop reduced ejection fraction (poor heart pumping capacity), leading to symptoms such as breathlessness, fluid buildup in the lungs (pulmonary edema), swelling in the legs, and low blood pressure.
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Dr Kishore adds that the proximity of the heart and lungs inside the thoracic cavity further explains their intertwined nature. Since both organs share a network of interconnected blood vessels, dysfunction in one often immediately impacts the other.
This makes the relationship between COPD and heart health a critical yet frequently overlooked connection. With shared risk factors like smoking and the overlapping effects of disease progression, recognizing the two-way relationship is essential for timely diagnosis and integrated care.
Source: News18
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The tensions between star Indian batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and the coach of the Indian cricket team Gautam Gambhir, does not look like dissipating any time soon. Despite their splendid performances in the first ODI between India and South Africa
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