title: [Comorbidities in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: Subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are often affected by other chronic diseases (called comorbidities). It is only recently that the impact of comorbidities on symptoms and on natural history of COPD has been recognized. Comorbidities may be responsible for increased dyspnea, reduction in exercise capacity and in physical activity. The presence of comorbidities is associated with increased mortality and with increased costs related to healthcare utilization. COPD is underdiagnosed in patients suffering from other chronic diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease). These findings should lead to the development of therapeutic strategies taking into account comorbidities in patients with COPD. It is also suggested that early diagnosis and treatment of COPD in subjects suffering from other chronic diseases may result in improved patient care.
authors.affiliation: Service de pneumologie, hôpital Cochin, AP-HP, 75679 Paris Cedex 14. pierre-regis.burgel@cch.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Pierre-Régis
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Burgel
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000150:complications*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index