Comorbidities of COPD [Komorbiditäten bei COPD]

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with comorbidities. Cardiovascular diseases, weight loss, loss of fat free mass combined with muscle dysfunction, osteoporosis and depression are the main comorbidities in COPD. Cardiovascular comorbidities, weight loss and loss of fat free mass are predictors of mortality of patients with COPD. Thus, the extrapulmonary manifestations are meaningful parameters of clinical assessment. Systemic inflammation is probably the key to the extrapulmonary signs of COPD. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2006.