Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease - Complications

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Eventually these activities can lead to very serious and even life-threatening conditions:

• Patients with prolonged and severe hypoxia and hypercapnia are at risk for acute respiratory failure, which can cause heart rhythm abnormalities or other life-threatening conditions if not treated immediately.
• Abnormally high blood pressure in the lungs can cause a complication called cor pulmonale, in which the right ventricle of the heart enlarges, eventually leading to heart failure.
• The effects of COLD can threaten the heart. Chronic bronchitis itself is associated with a 50% higher risk of death from coronary artery disease, even after considering the effects of smoking.
• Low oxygen levels can also impair mental functioning and short-term memory.

Effects of Respiratory Infections

Any disease that affects the lungs is dangerous for COLD patients. Pneumonia can cause acute attacks of chronic bronchitis. This may precipitate acute respiratory failure, which is life threatening for COLD patients. Viral or bacterial infections in the lungs, seasonal changes, certain medications, and exposure to irritants in the air may also trigger serious lung events.

Other Serious Medical Problems Associated with COLD

The smoking that causes COLD is also associated with high risks of pneumonia, lung cancer, stroke, and heart attacks.

Lung Cancer. Patients with a 30-year history of smoking, who have indications of airflow limitation (in other words, most patients with COLD), are at high risk for lung cancer. In such patients, the incidence of this cancer is 2%. Computed tomography (CT) screening is making it easier to detect this deadly cancer in earlier stages, and such patients should consider having this test.