Chronic Cor Pulmonale

Left ventricular function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

“…Indeed, it is stated in a recent textbook of cardiology that the entire heart is affected in cor pulmonale, and not just the right ventricle (1). Evidence to support this impression has been gained primarily from the observation that patients dying with COPD often have left ventricular hypertrophy at postmortem examination (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7), and the possible mechanisms for this have been summarized (7). However, the presence of myocardial hypertrophy does not necessarily indicate depressed myocardial function since it has been demonstrated that the hypertrophied myocardium can function normally (8) or even supernormally (9)(10)(11)(12)(13).…”

The Heart in the Pneumoconiosis of Coalminers

“…Other studies of the pathology of pulmonary heart disease record right ventricular hypertrophy with anthraco-silicosis (Scott and Garvin, 1941; Spain and Handler, 1946). In the South Wales anthracite coalfield, Gooding (1946) has reviewed a series of 227 post-mortem examinations on miners certified as having pneumoconiosis; 37 per cent are described as having died from cardiac failure, usually right-sided.…”

COPD and Coronary Heart Disease: Challenges in Understanding the Natural History of Common Complex Chronic Diseases

“…The early studies relating pulmonary disease with CHD indicated a wide array of both lung and heart abnormalities (1,3). Advances in non-invasive imaging have dramatically helped our understanding of the heterogeneity of these diseases.…”